Harry Potter: The Many Mysteries Of Magic
by SpudGuy
Summary: What if Sirius and Remus raised Harry? Would he be a better man? What would that mean for his destiny? Harry is mature, baring the effects of his parents deaths and years of isolation. He is intelligent, raised by a wolf and grim who vowed to protect him. He is admired by many, yet he is flawed and potentially dangerous to everyone around him.
1. The Night of Terror

A/N:

Hi, hope you enjoy but not too much because this is quite sad. If you have any questions or queries, feel free to leave a review!

All rights are reserved for J.K Rowling for her creation of the universe and the characters within it. this is merely my adaptation of said brilliant universe and I am not earning anything other than enjoyment out of this.

The Night of Terror:

~ **October 31 1981 **~

In was a cool Wednesday night, a low fog covered the cobbled streets of Diagonally. Halloween was in full spring in the muggle world, but the streets of Britain's largest magical shopping and business centre were desolate. Two men walked through the haunted place. One dressed in red, an Auror, and another in what looked like rags.

The Auror was tall at around 6ft and had a muscular physique hidden under his battle robes. His stride and posture was confident yet cautious. long silky black hair hung to his shoulders and framed his regal face. His eyes were two orbs of pure metallic silver that shined as he processed his surroundings carefully, a trained paranoia taking hold.

The other was also a tall man of similar height, but he was rougher and skinner. His clothes wouldn't look out of place on a homeless man, nor would the large moustache and hastily trimmed hair light brown. His features soft and round as where his deep brown eyes, but there was a danger hidden within them. One would not cross this man if they were in their right mind.

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin trawled the walkways on patrol of any suspicious activity. There superior, had a feeling that something was going to happen tonight and they'd been sent to scope out any threats.

If they were honest, they didn't want to be there. They wanted to be with their friends who were celebrating their young child's first Halloween, but instead they were here on guard duty in this depressing town.

"Something doesn't feel right Sirius, it's like there's somewhere else we need to be!" Remus harshly whispered as his eyes darted around, briefly flashing amber in a paranoid frenzy.

Sirius grudgingly nodded, the look on Remus' face spoke a thousand words. He guiltily admitted that he had some doubts about Remus' loyalty as there always seemed to be an ambush of dark wizards as soon as they left their safe houses. However, the genuinely worried and slightly panicked look on his face spoke of something different. The only times he'd seen him like this was when Moony was acting up, and that meant one of his pack was in danger. Sirius was concerned now as well.

As they crept across the cobbled streets, a sudden sensation had them stopping in their tracks. Like a switch, any and all sounds seemed to have been snuffed out. The only noise came from the two men's heavy breathing. It was far too quiet.

Sirius drew his wand and cast a 'homenum revelio' on the area, looking to reveal a human presence.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"We need to leave", Remus almost whimpered, the contrast of chaos inside of him and the eerie surroundings getting the better of him.

Sirius inhaled sharply as a sudden pain flared in his chest, shocking the wind out of him. It was the bond. The godfather bond.

"Harry…" he gasped as he fell to his knees, despair and dread filling his entire being.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled startled at his friends sudden drop.

"What's happening? What's wrong with Harry!" He demanded as Sirius regained his breath. The pained look never left his face, silver eyes swirling with fear bored into his own as they grasped onto each other.

"Dumbledore Remus… you have to get Dumbledore!" Sirius commanded.

"For what? Sirius what's wrong!" Remus shouted back, panicked at the assumptions he was making, his eyes now a solid, unwavering orange.

"It's Harry, he's in danger. You have to get Dumbledore to Godrics Hollow, I may need backup." Sirius growled as he got up and prepared to apparate. He swore then and there that if Pettigrew betrayed them, he'd beat him brutally and slowly, until the rat had nothing but an ounce of life in him before he'd finally stuff it out.

"No you idiot I'm coming with you! If Harry, James or Lilys life is on the line then I want to be there as well!" He shouted furiously. He will protect his pup at all costs.

"You can help by getting Dumbledore! What if it's _him_ Remus?! You know we can't take him out ourselves, but Dumbledore can!" Sirius yelled back in a rage at the delay. His godson was in danger and they needed all the help they could get.

"What of Peter then, you think he betrayed us?" Remus growled in dismay. He knew Sirius was right and he knew that arguing further could cost the life of one of his pack members.

"If he did, I'll shred him alive." Sirius snarled causing Remus to blink at the hostility, yet he still nodded as he agreed with the statement.

"Just remember Padfoot, Harry's my pup as well. If James and Lily…" he choked on his words as they refused to come out. "If they're dead… then you have to protect Harry. Don't give him up to anybody, you hear me? No one. You wait until we arrive." He forced out, his blood pumping in his ears, tears cascading down his face.

Sirius grasped Remus in an anxious hug before stepping back, nodding gravely, and apparating out.

Remus wiped his eyes and put a stone cold mask on before he to apparated out, leaving behind a soulless dragon ally in his wake.

~ **Godrics Hollow, October 31st 1981 **~

Sirius apparated in with a resonating 'crack' only to sink to his knees in horror. Godrics Hollow was on fire.

All the windows were shattered, glass littering Lily's once beautiful garden, which was now dead and withered - a clear sign of black magic. The stone walls were cracked in spidery patterns all leading towards one of the rooms, Harry's room. The roof of said room was caved in and engulfed with flames which threatened to incinerate the entire house.

"No…" Sirius choked in despair, quickly getting to his feet and rushing through the splintered front door.

He dimly noted that the place was absolutely saturated with raw magic, enough to set his hair on end. All thoughts of that ceased however as he burst into the living room and spott a body lying motionless of the cold stone floor. It was James. He lay there, still, dull eyes staring off into the void.

"No," he gasped, "no, no, NO!" He screamed as he kneeled next to his brother in all but blood, lifting him up to cradle him in his shaking arms. He screamed in rage and anguish to the heavens as he looked at his friends lifeless corpse.

"James… " he whimpered. Prongs was gone, his brother was dead.

Over his anguish, he managed registered a strangled cry. It was a child. His head snapped towards the stairwell in alarm.

'Harry' he thought with hope, before it was quickly saturated once again in sorrow as he looked back down at his James's corpse. He wrenching himself away after gently placing James back down on the red stained stone before stumbling towards the stairs.

Dragging himself up the second floor landing, he cringed and coughed as ash and smoke forcefully entered his lungs. The child's cries were getting closer, but there was something else. Another mans weeping could be heard intermingled with the child's, both of them coming from the nursery.

A brutal flash of rage overtook him, and damning all the consequences he ran through the raging flames and blasted away the debris blocking the door. What he saw inside stopped him dead in his tracks as shock and anger as he never felt before welled up inside him.

There sat Severus Snape cradling a dead Lily Potter in his arms, whispering sweet nothings over her limp body. Behind him amidst the flames and debris lay Harry in his cot, bleeding from his head and wailing his poor throat hoarse as he watched the strange man rock his dead mother.

Sirius didn't notice the human shaped scorch mark on the wall as he burst into action, silver eyes shining with tears and power.

"You fucking bastard!" He screamed as he blasted snape off of Lily and into one of the still intact walls.

Snape managed to quickly recover and dodge the second spell before firing back a lethal curse aimed at decapitation, which Sirius dodged. However, the wayward spell barrelled into the wall behind him which collapsed onto the oblivious man, trapping him under a couple hundred pounds of masonry.

Snape stalked towards Sirius, murderous intent flashing in his glistening eyes as a viscous snarl curled onto his face. Sirius swore Snape was going to finish him then and there before they both stiffened.

A shrill scream echoed around the room before a pulse of pure magic launched Severus through the one remaining walls and out of the house. Sirius watched as Harry collapsed soon afterwards, completely shocked after seeing the toddler use his magic to to protect his godfather in such a way.

Sirius quickly shook those thoughts out of his head as glanced around the room looking for his wand. He noticed that the fire had picked up and the house was still rocking in the aftermath of Harry's powerful outburst. He suspected that he only had a few minutes before the house would collapse in on itself, putting him and Harry under tons of stone if he didn't do something quickly.

Looking around more desperately than he ever had before, he finally spotted his wand a few metres away from him. It was little worse for wear but still seemingly functional.

In his desperation to get to his godson he performed his first wandless magic feat ever and summoned the wand to his hand. With no time to digest the accomplishment, he quickly levitated the debris off of him and crawled his way to Harry.

Pain was everywhere. His ribs were probably broken, his leg was at an odd angle, there was a large piece of wood sticking out of his shoulder that was sending rivers of blood down his arm, and he had blood soaked hair due to the massive gash that spanned the length of his cranium. All of that was irrelevant though as he struggled his way over to his godson, who's safety was his main priority.

He passed lily on his way and the anguish returned anew. They'd formed a tight bond when she started dating James. She was his go to for advice and was the most reliable and smart person he ever knew. She was so young and yet she died protecting her son. He closed her eyes, mumbling a sorrowful prayer before continuing on, guilt clutching at his heart.

When he finally got to Harry, he saw the condition his godson was in. He was pale and shaking. His skin gaunt, veins standing out in stark contrast to his near white skin, all severe symptoms of magical exhaustion. He was littered with scraps and scratches from falling debris, but there was one distinct cut on his forehead that bled profusely, sharing an odd likeness to a lightning bolt. If he didn't get Harry to a healer within the next few minutes, the boy would die.

He tried to stand but collapsed back to the ground in agony when he put weight on his broken leg. Gasping and cringing through the pain, he just held Harry close, wondering if this was it. The fire bellowed around them, suffocating them with smoke and heat. He started feeling feint and fought it as best he could.

Just as his eyes where about to close on him and the building about to collapse, a song of hope resonated through the house. The sound reinvigorated Sirius enough to look up.

Wafting away the flames was a majestic bird like creature. A Phoenix.

"Fawks," He wheezed.

Fawks landed gracefully on Sirius and grasped him in his strong talons before engulfing all three of them in flames, transporting them out of the building. As soon as they left the house gave a heaving, protesting groan and it finally gave out and collapsed into the earth, burying and cremating the adult potters with it.

~ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, November 1st 1981** ~

Remus dashed through the grounds of Hogwarts and up towards the castle, having been forced to apparate to the border of the school due to the heavy wards surrounding the premier British school.

He'd been told by Sirius to get reinforcements before the dog apparated away. He desperately wanted to go with him, but Sirius had told him that if it was Voldemort that attacked the potters, then they'd be running straight to their deaths. He grudgingly admitted that the only man that could stand against the dark bastard was Dumbledore. So there he was, running through Hogwarts grounds in the early morning hours.

Remus kept seeing flashes of James and Lily's smiling faces as they held baby Harry. The last time he saw them was when he'd left for his Diagon shift with Sirius, only forty minutes earlier. He gave a casual goodbye, now regretting not doing something more as it was probably the last time he'd every see them.

He brushed the tears aside as refocused on his task. He came upon the grand doors to the castle that now stood in his way. 'I don't have time for this' he thought as he viscously bombed the entrance doors into splinters with an extremely powerful '_bombada', _which probably woke up the entire school.

He ran up the stairs three at a time, racing past a shocked and protesting Minerva McGonagall, who was the transfiguration professor and deputy headmistress at Hogwarts. She was dressed in a night robe with her hair let loose in a sleeping cap.

He reached the third floor corridor - which was where the headmasters office resided - in record time and sprinted the last stretch towards the gargoyle.

"Let me in." He growled, baring his teeth at the stationary sculpture.

"Password?" It replied not giving an inch.

"I don't have the password and I have even less time!" He yelled.

Professor McGonagall ran up besides him and gave the password after hearing the desperation in Remus's voice. The gargoyle jumped aside as Remus glared a hole through its stone face and bounded up the stairs, minerva following closely behind. She was equally curious and frightened at what had the normally placid man so worked up like this.

Not even waiting for an invitation Remus burst into the headmasters office and rushed over to the man currently pacing in front of his desk. The elderly man was still in his purple garish day robes, his ancient long hair and beard tucked into his belt as his light blue eyes stared dimly off into space. He didn't even seem surprised at Remus's rude barging in.

"Harry's in danger, Sirius felt it through the bond." He rushed out wanting to get to Godrics Hollow as soon as possible. Minerva stifled a gasp in worry.

"I know." Said Albus Dumbledore, not stopping his stride in the slightest.

"Then what the fuck are we still doing here!" Remus yelled as his emotions got the better of him. He was rightfully infuriated by the further waste of time.

Just as he was about to leave, Fawks gave a startled chirp - seemingly shocked about something that the humans couldn't even fathom - before suddenly flaming out in a burst of fire and heat that made everyone's eyes water.

"What in Merlins name was that!" Minerva exclaimed, the shock of the entire situation getting on her nerves as well.

Before anyone could respond, Fawks returned with a very injured Sirius cradling what Remus assumed was his dead godson. Remus's heart leapt into his throat. He felt light headed and sick to the stomach. Like everything that he'd ever loved had just been murdered before his very eyes.

He couldn't even speak, shocked and distraught at the state of two of the most important people in his life. He didn't even want to look at Harry. It would be to much for his sanity to handle.

Minerva fell to her knees in horror as thick and silent tears cascaded down her face. Dumbledore distraughtly fumbled for his wand and snapped towards his familiar.

"Hospital wing, now!" He demanded grasping Sirius on the shoulder.

Fawks trilled and launched towards Dumbledore, Sirius and Harry. Dumbledores grasped one of Fawks's talons and they all burst into flames, vanishing from the office.

Remus was out of his mind with worry, internally howling in rage and agony. He rushed to the door and leaped down the stairs, quickly being followed by a weeping Minerva. They passed a patrolling Filius Flitwick on the way, the strange creature like diminutive man making chase after them as fast as his small legs would take him. The half goblin charms professor had never seen both his coworker and former student in such a distraught state, though he quickly noticed the direction they were heading in and paled at him suspicions.

When Remus finally arrived at the hospital wing he rammed himself through the doors and rushed to the only two beds that were occupied. He realised that they were the last family he had left, as James and Lily didn't come back with them.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse, was hastily working on Harry, her methods experienced and calm even though her patient was at deaths door. The headmaster was in charge of caring for the unconscious Sirius, mending the cuts and bruises and diagnosing any further damages. Flitwick - though quite shocked at first - slipped into his charms master persona and quickly jumped into action and helped the headmaster. He knew that if he tried to help the matron, he'd only get in the way.

Remus was sat in front of the two beds, head in his hands, his eyes glued to the people in front of him, seemingly run dry of tears. Minerva stood behind him on shaky legs with her hands on his shoulders, trying her best to comfort one of her ex-students. She too couldn't take her eyes of what was happening.

Dumbledore and Flitwick quickly and efficiently reset the bones and any other abnormalities before leaving Sirius to rest. They both then turned to madam Pomfrey and watched as she poured a concoction into baby Harry's mouth, before rubbing his throat to coax the potion down into his system. She then placed the flask back down on the floating table besides her and subconsciously rubbed her sweating hands on her white and read nurse robes.

The physical ailments had already been healed in the small boys, leading everyone to believe that the major harm was actually coming from his magic. It was Filius who asked the question.

"What's wrong with him Poppy?" He questioned softly, rubbing his forehead in stress.

"Magical exhaustion… it's very sever. Quite frankly he should be a squib, but somehow he's managing to hold on… for now at least." She responded sending shivers down everyone's spines at the insinuation.

They all watched as the potion took hold, reducing some of the paleness and the other symptoms. They all deflated in relief.

"He's not out of the woods yet, but he's stable for now." Poppy warned before moving over to Sirius. She looked him over and cast a few diagnostics before retreating back to Harry, nodding to Albus and Filius on the way.

"What happened?" Remus whimpered and curled up into a ball. "James and Lily… they would never let Harry be harmed." He said, mortification shining in his eyes before he closed them and sobbed into his legs. Half of his family, dead. The other half was injured and confined in a hospital. One of his own had betrayed them.

His eyes lit with fury as he snarled viscously. Peter Pettigrew. The man that they'd called friend for years. The one they gave all of their secrets to, including the one that kept the dark forces away from the Potter house. They originally planned for the secret to be held with Sirius, but they thought that it was to obvious. Little did they know that they'd be giving it to a lying, deceitful little traitor! How else would the dark lord and his followers know where they were?

Minerva drew back startled at Remus' sudden change in mood. Remus quickly stood and marched towards the doors.

"Mr. Lupin?" She called after him, "where are you going?" She asked forcefully.

"To kill a rat!" He ground out in rage.

He'd made it two steps after that statement only to be bound in chains. He fell to the ground snarling and howling, his inner rage taking over, struggling against his binds in order to exact vengeance. He spied Dumbledore with his wand pointed at him.

"Let me go you decrepit piece of shit!" He screamed as he struggled further but to no avail.

"I can't let you do this Remus." He responded, blue eyes hurting and apologetic. "I understand what you must be feeling, but I can't let you kill him. You will be a wanted man, thrown into Azkaban for murder… do you really leave Harry and Sirius when they need you the most?" Dumbledore reasoned quietly.

"You understand nothing!" Remus growled still struggling against his binds, "He betrayed them! I'll tear him limb from limb, make him cry for mercy, and when he's dead, I'll resurrect him, just so I could kill him more horrifically than the first time!" He screamed, his voice deepening and becoming more animalistic.

Albus sighed in resignation hoping that Remus will calm down by the time he awakened. Just as Remus got his arms free and broke out of his binds, a stunner impacted him dead in the face, knocking him out cold.

Dumbledore lowered his wand as Filius levitated Remus onto another one of the beds. Poppy looked at Albus disapprovingly before the four members of faculty stood together looking at the three of them.

"They're all that's left now." Minerva lowly commented, composed somewhat despite the deep grief that she now carried.

The others nodded. They indeed were all that was left of the group. James and Lily were assumed dead, and Pettigrew was a traitor.

"They'll pull through. And they'll have each other now no matter what." Dumbledore said, a calculating look in his eye.

"What of you-know-who? Why did he attack them? How did Harry survive?" Minerva asked, her head buzzing with questions.

"Why he attacked them… I cannot tell you." He responded while moving over to Harry's side, causing Minerva to narrow her eyes. He knew something but clearly wasn't keen on sharing.

"As for how Harry survived…" he contemplated, brushing Harry's hair to the side, "by facing him head on, I believe." He finished, the still inflamed lightning bolt scar exposed for all to see.

Filius gasped as he spotted it. He turned to Poppy.

"A cursed scar?" He asked in horror. She just nodded gravely back at him. Minerva's nostrils flared.

"When can we get rid of it?" She demanded. This was James's son for crying out loud!

"We'll have to wait until he wakes and his magic is fully recovered. It may take a while though, as I said, the exhaustion was severe… though I've never seen such a young child with that much power before…" Poppy frowned in thought.

"What do you mean?" Filius asked, he was very curious indeed as the boy's parents were also powerful in their own rights. It's entirely possible that the offspring of both James and Lily would be nothing less than a golden child.

"Well as you know, when you treat people for magical exhaustion you first need to check how much of their magical core has been depleted." She stopped and rubbed her forehead, "long story short, I treated him like I would treat a preteen, and he's only 15 months old." She revealed exasperatedly.

"Dear Merlin!" Filius exclaimed as all their faces, including Dumbledores, rose in shock.

"You mean to say he's as powerful as a first year yet he's only a toddler?" Minerva questioned disbelievingly. She almost couldn't wait to see how strong he'd be by the time he entered Hogwarts… the things he'd be able to do with transfiguration…

"Like I said before, he's not out of the woods yet. With that level of magical exhaustion… he may just become a squib for all we know. It's up to him to fight for his magic now." Poppy finished morosely.

That sobered everyone up real quick.

They all snapped their heads to the beds as two simultaneous groans broke the silence that had descended upon them. Both Sirius and Remus began to stir as the faculty rushed to their sides.

Minerva had her wand in hand ready for Remus to try and escape again. She didn't need it as she'd thought. Remus just sat there staring at the ceiling, eyes blank and unseeing. She worried that this would change the young man. He was the most mature marauder out of the four, but still a child at heart like the rest of them. That was something she didn't want the man to loose.

Sirius groaned again as he tried to sit up. Realising Sirius was awake, Remus was jolted out of his staring contest with the stone ceiling. He bolted out of his cot and launched himself at Sirius in a bear hug, causing him to give a hoarse hell of pain. Remus quickly receded mumbling incoherent apologies. When Sirius noticed it was Remus, he just pulled him back in and they cried in each other's arms. The grief and anguish taking over them as they tried to grasp at any small comfort the other could give.

"Harry," Sirius wheezed out, "where's Harry?" He asked pulling back from the embrace and looking around until he spotted him, sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him.

He tried to reach for him but came up short when he huffed out an irritated gasp of pain. Dumbledore saw what he was trying to do and moved the bedside table that was between them. He then rolled Sirius's bed over to join with Harry's. A quick glance at Poppy and he saw her surprisingly approving nod.

Sirius stroked Harry's hair with a shaking hand as he let out a relieved breath. Remus moved over to sit on the other side of Harry with his hand now resting on the boys arm, his gaze looking longingly at his closed eyes. Sirius looked up towards the faculty with some effort, a silent question in his wide and glistening silver orbs.

"He is stable for now, but we still have some work to do if he wants to fully recover. He was almost completely magically drained… I'm sure you know the consequences?" Poppy asked pointedly at the end.

Sirius eyes widened even more in worry before he adopted a look of pure determine. One that was reflected on Remus's face. They knew at that moment that they'd always be there for Harry, no matter if he was a squib or not.

"What happened Sirius?" Dumbledore asked gently, genuinely concerned about the events and the fate of some of his favourite students. Poppy glared at him. She thought they had gone threw enough already tonight and reliving bad memories was not the way to heal. They needed rest.

Sirius flashed threw multiple emotions as he relived the night before settling on anger.

"Pettigrew." He growled out the traitors name vehemently.

Surprisingly it was Remus that calmed him down.

"Leave him to the other Aurors Sirius, our main concern now is Harry." He whispered strongly, matching the fiery gaze of Sirius. He reluctantly nodded before looking down in grief again.

"They're dead Remus," he whispered, "they both protected him till their final breath." He finished as tears once again started oozing out.

They were in everyone's eyes in fact. Remus was sobbing again and Dumbledore put a hand on a distraught Minerva's shoulder. Before the could compose themselves Sirius continued.

"Snape was there." He ground out, his face again turning red in rage.

"What!" A shocked Minerva exclaimed.

"Snape was there… holding Lily. The prick was crying his eyes out and completely ignoring Harry. We duelled, but he collapsed a wall on me with some blasting curse. I was stuck… I think he was going to kill me…" he stopped as he looked at Harry, "but Harry blasted the greasy git through a wall." He finished with a grin.

"He did what!?" Exclaimed Poppy who was speaking for them all. 'Well that was where the magical exhaustion came from' she thought. To blast someone through a wall without a wand… extraordinary.

Her sentiments where reflected by all those in the room, but none more so than Albus Dumbledore. He knew that Harry was powerful. He had to be if he was to achieve his destiny.

He glanced at the mark on his head again. He'd originally planned for the Dursley's - Harrys last living relatives - to take care of the boy, but seeing the way that Sirius and Remus were now, he wouldn't tear them apart, Nor could he in fact with how strong the godfather bond seems to have become. A call for help through the link? No, he'd just have to instil the importance of an ideally happy childhood into the pair of them if they were to raise Harry. He needed to also remind them of the effects that fame could have on a child. He held no doubt that Voldemort was defeated by Harry Potter, and that would send shockwaves throughout the magical populous.

"Harry is a remarkable young boy, as he has already demonstrated. I highly doubt this will be his only surprise nor his only achievement, but only time and fate can tell what a person can do." Dumbledore deliberated as they continued to look at said boy. It seemed they were used to the occasional bouts of his strange philosophical speeches.

"It's about time we leave these three to rest. It is, after all, almost one o'clock on a week night and we do have a school to teach and take care of." Poppy said.

She was right. All of them needed rest after such a physically and emotionally exhausting day. After moving another bed next to Harry's for Remus, the members of the faculty left the three of them to some privacy, to give them time to grieve over their losses.

Minerva and Filius shuffled back to their respective chambers to grieve themselves. They lossed their favourite students in James and Lily respectively, yet they needed to pull themselves together before classes started again tomorrow.

Dumbledore himself knew he wasn't going to be catching any sleep for some time. There was something nagging him, as if he'd forgotten something potentially disastrous.

In his office he sat there, alone, mulling over his actions and the changes about to happen in the world. He knew that Voldemort wasn't dead, his name literally meant 'flight from death', he knew he'd have some type of safeguard to keep him alive. He had his suspicions, but he'd investigate them further at a later date.

For now, he was gone, and he had a feeling that he would continue to be gone for a considerable amount of time to come. In that time he planned to better prepare the wizarding world and mitigate further risks, starting with the imprisonment of the terrorists that have plagued them for years now. After that, he didn't yet know what to do. Maybe keep an eye on the development of Harry Potter? Definitely after what he'd seen, felt and heard of the boy. There was so much about him that needed further investigation, yet for now he'd have to keep his distance.

That scar though… He knew it wasn't just any normal cursed scar on the boy's head. No, he felt it was something much worse. He didn't know how he'd deal with it just yet or how it would effect the boy. This was something they ought to find out as the boy grew older. Close ties to Sirius and Remus were more important now than ever. Those two had no idea of the destiny the boy had, and he'd rather keep it that way until the time was right… but even still, they'd have a drastic effect on how that destiny will eventually come to pass.

As he sat there mulling over these thoughts, he couldn't help but feel that this was the right course of action. With the Dursley's, there were to many opportunities for things to go awry, to many unknown variables, to many peoples lives being tampered with. At least he's known Sirius and Remus for years now, he couldn't say the same about the Dursley's.

He was sure that this was the right thing to do, leaving Harry in the hands of Sirius and Remus. From what he saw today, they'd do anything for the boy, and he'd bet on anything that they'd do whatever was necessary to make Harry the best man he could be.

'He's in very good hands indeed.' He mused with a small smile.

That faded though when he remembered the cost of all of this. James and Lily. They would be sorely missed, but through their sacrifice, their boy was alive and fighting on, and so was the wizarding world. They'd be remembered as heroes, of that he vowed to make sure of.

Dumbledore said 'nox' to his desk lamp causing it to dim before moving off to his chambers. Change was coming and he had no doubt Harry would be at the forefront of it.

~ **Godrics Hollow, October 31st 1986 **~

Five years. It's been five years since Voldemort attacked the Potter house. Five years since he was vanquished by the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. It's been a long five years and an arduous time, but for these three wizards, everything was finally starting to look up.

Sirius Black, a tall young man around his late twenties with dark wavy locks gently resting on his shoulders and a high and regal face structure. Despite his currant severity, Sirius was the most mischievous and adventurous of the group, often finding jokes where no joke should ever be found.

Remus Lupin was long and lanky with light brown short cropped hair, his face was more rounded than Sirius and sported a thick moustache. He was the same age as the other man yet seemed decades more mature, he was the responsible one in the trio that was more often than not exasperated with the others antics.

The third member was a child, an odd child. Harry Potter, the last of the Potters, a beautiful young boy who belied his age with his maturity. His wild jet-black hair stuck up in all directions, as if each tuft was trying its hardest to escape his scalp. His baby fat covered face was lean enough to show promise of a very handsome man, however, the was one blemish on the boys face. A red scar in the shape of a lightning bolt rested atop his brow, a most unusual feature. Yet even that was overshadowed by his eyes. Magnificently sharp emerald green orbs, like freshly cut gemstones. They were once the signature of his mother, and now they were adopted by her beautiful boy.

The three of them walked through the streets of Godrics Hollow. Harry had a hand being held by both of his pseudo uncles, occasionally being swung back and forth by them as they enjoyed the stroll while it lasted. Today was bound to be a difficult one, a day that the two adults dreaded. They'd managed to keep young Harry away for this long, yet Harry had demanded they do this, and they had no choice but to go with it

All to soon they arrived at a house - the Potter house. In their opinion, It was nothing but a burnt husk of a building that brought back to many bad memories.

Sirius still remembered that night. He still saw the dead faces of James and Lily in his nightmares. Sometimes he didn't even have to be sleeping to see them. There were days where he just saw them everywhere, their dead eyes looking at him, judging him. Those episodes had been occurring less and less over the years, but they still happened. He never left his room on those days.

He remembered the duel, the flames, Harry on deaths door. His haunted eyes stared at the burnt husk of the once peaceful Potter home. Lost in his PTSD, the rest of the world nothing but white noise.

Remus was in a similar state of mind, yet he could never understand the pain that Sirius went through. He didn't see their bodies like he did. He didn't suffer the physical trauma. He didn't have to sit amongst the flames, holding his practically dead godson, and wonder if it was his final moments. Sirius had it tougher than Remus, and the man found that he had to look after two trauma victims in the years to come.

Remus joined Sirius as the both stood together, blankly looking at the house. They didn't move, nor did they make a noise. Like ghosts they stood there, impassive and unconscious to the environment around them.

That was why the two remaining marauders didn't notice the form of a small boy trekking up the stone walkway towards the house. His wild raven black hair swirled in the wind as the six year old knelt down to pick up a dead flower. A Lily. A lone tear traced its way down his face and onto the soiled grass as he gazed at the destroyed house. A house he used to live in.

Every now and then, Harry would get flashes of a sickly green light in his dreams, which were followed by a woman's eerie scream. He never told anybody about it. He didn't want his uncles to worry. They were sad enough already and he just wanted them all to move on.

He never really knew his parents, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love them. If fact he craves for them every single day, even though he knows they'd never came back. It was a sad reality, but tragedy has a way of changing people. In Harry's case, he was much more mature than any child his age should be.

Harry shook himself out of his thought, swiping away the tear that had managed to escape. He returned to his guardians only to see the unmoving figures that were his uncles. He cringed at the thought of what they were reliving in their heads. He'd seen this look before, and it was never good.

Harry decided to leave them to their peace and turned to look back at the house, a faint image of a burning inferno briefly overshadowing reality in his minds eye. The image was disrupted by the sound of footsteps coming towards them causing him to shift his focus away from the house.

Standing a little ways down the road was a sadly smiling Professor McGonagall, dressed in conservative black robes, with a subdued headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick behind her. Dumbledore, for once, did not dress in garish colours, but instead chose a mute grey which he was beginning to wear more and more of. Harry walked over to them, leaving his uncles in their unresponsive state.

"Are we ready?" McGonagall asked worriedly, earning a sigh from the boy.

"They're gone again." He said as he tuned to look back at Sirius and Remus.

"I'll stay with them for a while, why don't you three go on ahead?" Suggested Dumbledore.

Harry smiled as he nodded and began walking towards the church, moving up front while the two professors followed. Today would be the first time he'd ever visited his parents graves. Sirius and Remus didn't want to put such a young child through such an experience, but they had no choice now. Harry was six years old and growing up fast. It was time.

Harry lead them towards the church at the end of the street and to the graveyard on the other side. He looked at the them questioningly before McGonagall moved forward and took his shoulder, leading him deeper through the headstones. They stopped at a relatively large one with the names of James and Lily Potter.

"Can you clean it?" Harry asked with a small voice, tears pooling in his eyes. The headstone was dirty grey and covered In moss, making Harry slightly offended at the disrepair.

Flitwick flicked his wand, turning the dull grey stone back to a pearly white marble — the names standing out as they were etched in black — before stepping back and motioning to Minerva. She conjured up a wreath of Lily's and roses before adding golden tips to the roses and further conjuring up some antlers to go with them. She stepped forward to hand the assortment to Harry and gestured towards the headstone. He gave her a watery smile as he accepted them.

He walked forward slowly, fumbling a little with the large bundle in his small arms before placing it down in front of the stone. He then took some flowers out of the array and planted them around the area, rearranging some of the rocks to better accommodate the new plants. He put the antlers on top of the headstone and sat back on his legs to admire the decoration work he'd done. As he was doing this, he whispered things to the ground, secrets and stories that nobody else knew. They were for his parents ears only.

While he was working, Dumbledore and the two remaining marauders arrived. The sight of young Harry calmly talking to his parents about anything and everything as he decorating their grave was haunting and had everyone in tears. No child should ever have to do such a thing.

Sirius had his arm around Remus, both of them using tissues to wipe their wet faces. It was never easy for them to visit Godrics Hollow, but this was borderline more than they could handle.

Flitwick was also whipping his eyes while McGonagall dabbed at hers with a small piece of cloth. Almost subconsciously, the two long time colleagues and friends grasped each other's hand as they continued to watch the poor boy in front of them.

There was no sign of the usual twinkle in Dumbledores eyes, in fact they were dim and moist. His hands were rubbing together agitatedly. For once in his life he actually looked his age. A full one hundred and forty years old.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death?" Harry mumbled in agitation. His eyes lit up as he turned back to the adults.

They all were taken aback by the tone in which he read that line and the vividly glowing emerald eyes boring into them. They all felt the power the boy exhumed, an amount that they'd never felt before in one so young. They quickly became fully aware of the fact that he'd taken an offence to that sentence and his magic was responding to those emotions.

"Change it." He whispered harshly wearing an uncharacteristic scowl that further rose their eyebrows.

Dumbledore sighed as he closed his eyes. He should have known that Harry would not approve of that motto. As he'd told the stone carver, he himself saw it in bad taste concerning who killed them and Voldemort's own conquest to conquer death.

"How do you want to change it my boy?" He asked placatingly holding his hands up causing Harry's eyes to dim in what seemed to be shame. He looked to Sirius.

Sirius hiccuped a little as he thought of what to say, coming up with nothing that would do his friends justice. Remus took over for him.

"Here lies two beautiful people, who dedicated their lives to helping others and bringing joy to those around them. Two amazing sorcerers and two even better friends. They may be gone, but they will never be forgotten. May they Rest In Peace." Remus said strongly through his waterfall of tears. Sirius nodded numbly, unable to even think clearly after Remus's words.

Dumbledore was about to rewrite the inscription before he saw Harry. He was gently nibbling his bottom lip whilst clearly thinking deeply.

"Harry?" He asked. Harry looked up at him startled before he looked down again.

"I.. i-i like what uncle Remus said... I just wish that people cared enough to treat them properly." He admitted gesturing towards the previously dilapidated headstone, which causing them to look down in shame and sadness.

Sirius rushed over to Harry and enveloped him in a needy hug, which Harry returned wholeheartedly. Minerva and Filius moved over and gave a teary-eyed, smiling Remus a gentle hug as well. As everyone was dealing with their emotions, Dumbledore expertly carved the new words onto the gravestone. It now read:

_James Potter_

_27 March 1960_

_To _

_31 October 1981_

_Lily Potter (née Evens)_

_30 January 1960_

_To_

_31 October 1981_

_Here lies two outstanding individuals, who dedicated their lives to the benefit of others and brought joy and happiness to all of those around them. Two amazing sorcerers and two even better friends. They may be gone but they will never be forgotten. May they Rest In Peace._

Dumbledore sighed as he finished the inscription and looked over at Harry - who was still in Sirius's arms - then back to the grave with all the flowers surrounding it. 'No six year old should decorate their parents grave' he thought solemnly as another pang of guilt and depression shot through him. Too many lives where lost in the war. Too many families were torn apart and this was only one demonstration of that.

He just hoped that these three would be able to keep moving on, move past this tragedy, and move into the destiny that has been set before them.


	2. Birthday Excursion

A/N:

Heavy influence from J.K Rowling's work in this chapter, all rights go to her.

Sorry for the long weight, I got a bit stuck on this part. All the positive feedback from the last chapter made me stress to polish this up as best I could, yet it still could be better. Still, I hope you enjoy!

Happy Birthday Excursion:

~ **Black manor, July 31st 1990** ~

Dawn. The first light of the new day.

In many ways it was symbolic to Harry, as he lived in perpetual torment for years after that night, barely surviving the days, living off of potions and spells and his sheer will to survive. Things had not gone to plan to say the least.

The cursed scar had been worse than they all thought. It prevented his magical core from regenerating by parasitically feeding off of his power. What was supposed to be only a month of recovery turned into years, only abating after Dumbledores solution came to fruition.

Nobody knows of what he did; the power that he invoked, the spells he used or the method of doing so. However, when Harry finally opened his eyes after a two year coma, nobody even cared. What was most important, was that he survived.

Harry relished every waking moment, and had developed he a phobia of sleeping. He'd think that he'd never wake up, so he spent as much time awake as possible - often until he collapsed. Not a single minute was wasted. He was always on the move; playing, studying, _living_. It was a struggle for both of his guardians to keep up with him.

Sirius and Remus knew that it wasn't healthy, especially when they'd retire for the night wake up the next morning to find the exact same position as he was when they'd left him. They worked tirelessly to ease him out of the habit. To this day they could not get more that six hours a night of rest out of the boy. However, Remus - always looking on the bright side - suggested that this could actually be a good thing.

Despite the negative side effects of sleep deprivation, Harry was at a Hogwarts second year level of knowledge by the time he was nine. Nothing was off limits to the boy. Whether it be charms, transfiguration, potions, defence against the dark arts, runes or magical creatures - he loved it all. Even subjects not taught at Hogwarts such as magical languages and Wizarding law. With access to the many thick tomes provided by their lodgings, Harry's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable.

However, this amount of work was unhealthy for a child, so Sirius made it his mission to add a little fun to the boys life.

Commence the prank wars.

From stink bombs in the parlour to shaving your sleeping uncles head and having a few games of naughts and crosses on his scalp, the house fell into chaos. Sirius was frightened by Harry on more than one occasion: 'I've created a monster…' he thought as he stroked his purple beard, which was long enough to rival Dumbledores.

It was all so strange yet so natural now. Each of them had a way to grieve for their losses, but as Dumbledore had hoped, they had all done well to move on. They rose out of the ashes of misery and woe, and into a new life. A dawn of which of which they'd only dreamed of, yet none of them were truely prepared for.

Slowly opening his eyes, Harry awoke to the warm glow of the suns first rays streaming in through his window and the pleasant sound of birds chirping on the sill.

He loved the beautiful Scottish mornings. He could see sun rising over the distant rocky mountains that surrounded the large estate that he called home. The gardens were in full bloom at this time of year showing off all of their colours and majesty while the creatures - both mundane and magical - were enjoying the brisk and crisp air.

He'd kindly ask the house elves - pleasant and diminutive creatures that usually bonded to households as servants - to open his window every summer morning in order let in a gentle breeze. He liked the way it made the white silk curtains sway.

He breathed a deep sigh of contentment, barely registering that it was his birthday. All he cared about was what was coming in the mail. As tradition had held it, every Hogwarts student received their summons during the celebration of their eleventh year of life.

Grabbing his circular gold framed glasses and whipping of the blankets, he crossed his room towards his connected bathroom. He rushed through his morning rituals, finishing by brushing his teeth - using regular muggle equipment since he couldn't use magic yet - and changing into muggle sweat pants and a baggy black shirt.

As he left the bathroom, he spotted a bowl of smouldering ashes sitting below a beautifully shaped golden perch, which he looked at with a small sad smile. He went to make his bed before moving to one of the massive bookcases on the opposite side of the room and retrieving a thick tome.

He strolled over to his second story bedroom window and just stood there for a few minutes admiring the view. He usually took a book with him everywhere - usually in case things got boring - but what he was seeing was something that would never get old. No matter how many times he saw the sunrise over the mountains, he would still be awestruck. Yet something made him pause.

Focusing more out in the distance, he noticed a small brown dot gradually getting larger and larger. Eventually, the dot grew wings as it soared towards the house. Soon enough the image of a barn owl could be seen barreling towards the window, forcing Harry to jump aside with a surprised grunt.

Harry smirked amusedly at the erratic bird before the expression turned into one of concern. The poor thing was going nuts. It was squawking up a storm and trying to regain control of its wayward wings only to get caught in the freshly made sheets on Harry's four poster bed.

Rushing over to stop it from hurting itself, he gently took hold of the bird and managed to detangle the poor thing from his bedding. He relieved it of its burden - which was a cream coloured envelope with a red seal - and let the bird fly over to the window sill.

It sat there looked rather ruffled, much like Harry's bed hair yet with feathers. However, it seemed to be waiting for something.

"I can deliver it myself, thank you. You may go." He told it receiving a hoot as it fluttered out of the window and took off into the horizon.

He smiled amusedly at the retreating bird before looking down at the letter in his hand.

'_To Harry James Potter, _

_Heirs quarters, Black Est.'_

He grinned broadly at the parchment and seal before running out of the room. He sprinted down the quarters wing hallway and slid down the staircase railing towards the parlour. Once at the bottom, he took a left turn into the informal sitting area and then out another door into the family dining room. It was there that he spotted Remus reading a news paper and holding a steaming mug of what he already knew to be extremely strong black coffee. It was that time of the month again and he was getting rather fatigued.

"It's here uncle!" He said excitedly to the man that raised him properly as he slapped the letter on top of his reading material.

"Yes I see that…" he mumbled having been reading an interesting article about some 'Rotfang conspiracy'.

Regardless, he got up and hugged the now eleven year old boy tightly. In only a months time he'd be off to Hogwarts, James and Lily's boy all grown up. It nearly brought a tear to his eye as the boy hugged him back. He knew they'd be proud of him… of all of them.

"Happy birthday Harry." He said softly as he let go. "Why don't you go ahead and open it then." Remus suggested as he sat back down, motioning to the envelope.

Harry had not asked for gifts this year, much to the shock and worry of Sirius. He'd thought Harry was barmy. Harry explained however that receiving his Hogwarts letter, shopping for all of his school supplies and finally buying his wand was presents enough for him. That was one of the things that Remus admired about the boy, his sheer lack of greed.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sirius?" Harry asked, not wanting his godfather - the man that raised him improperly - to miss out on such an important occasion.

"I'm right here." Sirius grumbled, entering through the same door that Harry came through wearing a bright pink night gown. "I was woken up by what sounded like two owls having sex." Sirius continued with a yawn for emphasis.

"It was just one owl and it brought this." Harry replied holding up the letter.

"Well what are you waiting for then? Open the bloody thing!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly seemingly forgetting his tiredness as he barrelled over and crushed Harry in a hug, gaining a slightly startled grunt from the child.

Somehow with a clingy Sirius grappling his back like a over enthusiastic sumo wrestler, Harry managed to free his arms and break the Hogwarts seal. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, reading through it carefully with an ever-expanding grin on his face.

"I feel like there should be some dramatic music or something." Sirius whispered to Remus who promptly told him to 'shut up'.

H

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, first class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards

_Dear mr. Potter,_

_We are glad to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

H

Harry handed the paper over to Remus before breaking out of Sirius's grip and running up to his room. Remus breezed over the parchment, smiling at the memories of when he received his own letter. He frowned not knowing why Harry had run off, but he decided to put that aside for now while he looked over the list of supplies.

"When does his acceptance letter have to be in by?" Sirius asked trying and failing to catch a look over his friends shoulder. Remus shrugged and looked at the date.

"It says today." He said, though it sounded more like a question.

"Well that's completely fair isn't it." Sirius snorted sarcastically.

"There seems to be a flaw in the system. What if Harry was a muggle-born with no access to magical postal systems?" Remus asked thoughtfully. "It might be something to bring up with the headmaster."

He had no more time to puzzle over it as Harry came rushing into the room with a scroll of parchment, ink and a quill. He quickly scrawled down his acceptance letter through a huffing chest and somehow managed to keep it neat and legible. When he was finished he handed the letter to Sirius with an expectant look in his eyes. Sirius dried the ink with an 'ink drying charm' then put the letter in an envelope.

"I'll take this to Professor McGonagall later." He said as his face morphed into one of his shit-eating grins, warning the other two about the oncoming mischief. The look caused Remus to sigh and rub his forehead in consternation.

"What?" Harry asked, getting a feeling that he'd made a mistake.

"Oh nothing, just that old Minerva's going to have the fright of her life!" Sirius foretold in glee as he crumbled into a laughing fit.

Harry tried to look ashamed at even thinking giving his godfather the letter was a good idea, but all he managed was a cheeky little grin. He'd probably get a good grilling when he got to school but he honestly didn't really care at the moment. Today was the day he'd be reentering the wizarding world.

It would be the first time he's ever been to Diagon Ally and he was beyond excited, if also a little nervous. He knew of his supposed fame, but how long can fame last when you haven't even shown your face in ten years? Soon enough he'd find out just how important his 'victory' over the dark lord was.

"Well then, we've still got a few hours to kill until we meet Amelia at Diagon, what do you feel like doing?" Remus asked Harry.

"Wait, Director Bones is coming?" He asked back in surprise.

"Certainly. She's taken one of her very limited days off to take her niece Susan shopping. Sirius then suggested we go together, which she of course agreed to. It should be better with a friendly face on our first excursion back to magical Britain. She'll be able stop any fanatics with her badge if need be." Remus reasoned soundly, more to himself than anyone else, however he still earned a nod from Harry.

"It doesn't hurt that she's as scary as shit either." Sirius commented offhandedly.

"Language Sirius!" Remus admonished though he was clearly trying to hide his smirk.

"Since when have you been in contact with madam Bones?" Harry asked Sirius curiously.

All he got was a cheeky wink as Sirius left the kitchen with a skip in his step, Remus shouting 'tramp!' at his back. The old wolf sighed once again in frustration at his friends antics before looking over to Harry.

"Come on, lets go feed the Abraxans." He said, strolling off to the kitchen to retrieve the single malt whiskey.

Harry followed his uncle excitedly. Abraxans where awesome! Despite that though, he couldn't get the thought of returning to the magical world out of his mind. He also couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. He tried his best to stuff down those feelings as he walked alongside Remus into the woods.

~ **Diagon ally** ~

Harry, Sirius and Remus appeared in an alley off of Charing Cross Road. The air was humid in the English summer as they all stretched out after the long apparition journey, Harry taking some extra time to retched a little - he was never good with magical transportation in general but apparition made him feel especially awful. Remus patted him on the back while Sirius looked around for any muggle witnesses.

They each wore a set of long pants and boots - as was normal attire in the magical world - and Harry and Sirius were also wearing light formal robes over the top of their buttoned up shirts. It was after all, Harry's first time ever in the public scene and he was a little self conscious of what people would think about him. In Sirius's case, he was obliged to be presentable due to his… ah, 'status', you could say.

Remus had decided to just wear a simple shirt and brown robes, because he simply didn't give a shit.

The boy and his guardians walked down the street, catching some weird looks from the muggles they passed. That was probably due to Sirius screaming like an eight year old girl every time they passed the numerous record shops along the street.

Sirius had become a massive music fan after Lily introduced him to the much better muggle styles. He'd even bought a motorbike during his little rock 'n roll phase, as he'd apparently related to the 'nature' of the culture.

Harry was starting to feel a little uncomfortable at all the people staring at them when he spotted a small grubby looking pub. Looking towards the sign, he read 'The Leaky Cauldron', he blanched a little when he realised this was their destination. The entrance to Britains largest magical shopping district.

He observed as people hurried on past, not taking any notice of the out-of-place building at all, as if it wasn't even there. Harry was once again awed by magic, fascinated by its effects even if it was just a simple muggle-repelling ward.

Arriving at the door with Remus dragging a whining Sirius by his collar, Harry took a moment to take a deep breath. He was about to enter a world that believed him to be their saviour. He was famous here, and there was a high chance that a crowd or even a mob would form trying to get a good look at him, or that's what Remus had warned him of anyway. He felt Remus put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly as he grasped the handle. Summoning his inherent Gryffindor courage, he turned the knob and strode in.

He kept his head down and tried to not garner any attention to himself. Unfortunately, Sirius didn't get the memo. He walked in straight backed and confident, alerting the bartender to their presence.

"Good morning gentlemen." The old, bald and wrinkly man called over the din of the cauldron.

It was a relatively full space yet seemed strangely quiet. People were having whispered conversations that gave the room a buzzing feel, like a bees nest. It allowed the bartenders voice to echo slightly in the hushed atmosphere. Harry suppressed a groan but prepared none the less for the onslaught.

"Mornin' Tom, how goes it?" Sirius greeted back.

Everyone stopped at the sound of his silky voice - somehow remembering who it belonged to even after all of these years - and looked in their direction. Harry stood tall and weathered the stares as people started to connect the dots. It was well known that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin took him in and have been raising him god knows where for the past decade, yet neither hide nor hair had been seem of any of them on British magical soil for years.

However, everyone knew of the new 'lord Black', even if they couldn't they could see the crest on his robe. The other adult in their clique must then be Remus lupin. Then there was a boy that they'd never seen before. Raven hair and emerald green eyes… this must be Harry Potter, the miracle child… the 'boy-who-lived'.

As if the bees nest was punched, kicked and set on fire, an explosion of noise erupted throughout the dark and shabby establishment.

Almost at once, the whole cauldron burst to feet, pushing and shoving to get close to the 'wonder-boy' Potter. The trio were mobbed by the patrons who all wanted to shake their hand or yell some thank you speech over the top of everyone else who was trying to do the same.

A colossal boom erupted from the back of the crowd, causing the room to go deafly silent as people clutched at their poor ear drums. The crowd parted to allow an intimidating woman with a square jaw, close cropped grey hair and monocle through.

"What is all this nonsense about? We are wizards and witches, not savages!" Berated the commanding woman as she stopped just two meters from them, her booming voice resonating off of the walls.

"Hello Amelia, long time no see." Said Sirius as he locked eyes with the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Sirius?" She asked in slight surprise as she glanced over their party. She stopped on Harry and seemed taken aback by something.

"Sweet Merlin you look like your father…" she mumbled earning a barely perceptible grimace from Harry before she continued, "Perhaps you need an escort, Mr. Black? We wouldn't want another mob to form in the alley now do we?" She suggested with a severe look at the patrons, acting like this wasn't planned in the first place.

"Splendid idea, and thank you for your assistance." Remus jumped in, not a little relieved. First time back in years and they get mobbed in the first five seconds.

She nodded and lead the way out to the back of the pub with a girl Harry didn't even notice following behind her. Sirius and Remus both took one of Harry's shoulders as they escorted him out as well. Once in the back room the woman turned to him and presented her hand.

"Amelia Bones, It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Potter." She said strictly as she looked him over with a critical eye.

"Um, the pleasure is mine, madam Bones… thank you for stepping in back there, I knew I was supposedly famous but not to that degree." He said thankfully yet noticeably shaken. Madam Bones continued quickly, noticing his discomfort.

"This here is my niece, Susan. She's also going to hogwarts this year, you might just be classmates." She introduced the shy girl behind her. She had long deep red hair in a plat running down her back and a face still chubby from baby fat. Surprisingly, she was a few inches shorter than Harry, who was average height at best.

"Hi Susan, it's nice to finally meet someone my own age, being forced to live with two middle aged men leaves much to be desired." He snickered jokingly as he held out his hand, finally managing to get back some of his composure.

She blushed a deep crimson and she took his hand. Sirius snickered at her reaction already guessing that Harry will be a hit amongst the ladies. Madam Bones also noted the reaction in her niece, and although she didn't see any hidden motives in the boy, she decided to keep an eye on him. He was after all raised by Sirius Black, who often bragged about his dallying with witches when he was a part of the Auror force.

"We should put some 'glamours' on you, that way nobody would recognise you." She said.

"I'll do the honours!" Sirius grinned as he stepped up, wand out.

He was quickly disarmed by Remus, "Honestly Sirius if I'd have known I was going to babysit you all day I would have left you at a daycare." He said, catching on faster than everyone else to Sirius's devious plans.

Sirius pouted as Remus cast a few spells on Harry. The young man now had longer brown hair so his bangs could cover his scar - which never went away no matter how hard you tried to cover it up - and stormy grey eyes.

Harry turned and saw that Sirius had done his own. Short, almost bald blonde hair and a thick dirty blonde goaty. He was eternally grateful Remus had done his instead. Speaking of Remus, he had simply conjured a bowler hat and thick bug-eyed glasses. His uncles were a weird bunch that was for sure.

Madam Bones nodded in amusement - the first real expression other than stoic indifference that they'd seen so far - and tapped one particular brick on the wall. The bricks then started wiggling and twisting, forming a large archway that lead to a cobbled street.

"Where are you off too first?" She asked them in an effort to plan their movements to get them around as quietly as possible.

"We should probably get some more money out, we don't have much at the moment, just enough for the listed items." Remus answered holding up Harry's acceptance letter.

Madam Bones nodded as she started forward, "Gringotts it is then, how long do you think you'll be?" She asked again knowing it could be quite a while when working with goblins.

"Shouldn't be too long." He responded, neither of them realising they were leaving part of their entourage behind.

Harry stood deathly still, enraptured by the beauty that was around him. He'd never seen such an amount of magic in one place before. Hundreds of magical people crowded the cobbled streets, socialising and shopping, wearing strange robes that wouldn't be out of place in the eighteen hundreds.

The shops themselves were architecturally odd and were eccentrically painted in bright colours. Some sold cauldrons of all different materials and uses. One lumpy building was full of crates that housed various dissected creature parts. An armourer was housed on the left side of the Alley selling robes made out of dragon hide and other strange creatures pelts. Another rather open yet strangely sark structure had deafening noise escaping out through its doors as countless owls roosted in its nooks and crannies.

The magic that saturated the area filled all of his senses and overwhelmed him. It was like a churning river of the arcane… it was suffocating.

Just as he was about to start hyperventilating from overstimulation, someone smacked him upside the head. It wasn't forceful or anything, but his legs were starting to fell weak anyway and he buckled onto the stone. Thankfully enough, the smack was the perfect wake up call. He looked up to see Sirius smirking at him.

"I had the same reaction when I was just a tyke, you get used to it." He said as he lifted the boy up.

"Huh?" He said not knowing what else to say. The blonde Sirius chuckled at his 'oh so intellectual' response.

Gradually catching up to the others, Remus finally noticed that they'd gone missing. He saw the look on Harry's pale face and in his entranced eyes.

"Are you alright pup?" He asked gently, slinging his arm around the boys shoulders.

"Yeah, I've just never felt anything like this before, like everything's all flowing and pulsing, it's weird." He said as they continued walking.

"You can feel it? Very few people can actually feel magic Mr. Potter. Sensing magic is a very valuable skill, how did you come to possess it?" Madam Bones asked curiously. He just shrugged in response, an image of a smouldering ash pile coming into his mind, but he chose not to mention it.

"I find it best not to question what Harry is capable of. He makes a living off of surprising people, as I'm sure you'll no doubt find out over the next couple of years." Sirius sympathised with the woman, who looked at him doubtfully.

They eventually made it to Gringotts, a snowy-white stoned building who's pillars where tilted and seemed unsteady. It was massive - at least according to the sizes of the other building in the Alley.

Walking up the steps, Harry didn't notice the first diminutive creature that stood guard and blended into the outer wall of the building. He was too transfixed on the inscription written on the massive silver doors.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn,_

_So if you seek beneath our floors,_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, we do so warn,_

_Death is what you'll find,_

_Cut, quartered and drawn._

Harry read the inscription on the door and glanced at the two guards stationed. Short and clever, their long-fingered hands clutching viscous halberds, their red and gold armour imposing authority. He gulped slightly as the bearded left goblin caught his eyes.

He bowed sincerely, a gesture of peace. The reaction was brief and barely perceptible, but the shock was undeniable. The goblin warrior nodded back as he opened the grand silver doors.

"We're going to Fortescue's for a treat instead of just waiting around. I'm sure you'll be able to find us their when you get out." madam Bones suggested.

"You don't have to stay that long for us." Harry said, confused as to why she would take that much time out of her day.

"There's nothing else to do." She responded before nodding and leaving them at the foot of the intimidating building.

They all turned around and walked up to the doors. Harry had been told by Remus about how to deal with the goblins. As an outcast himself, he understood at least in some aspect of the discrimination the goblin nation faced. He thus taught Harry how to act around them. Be direct, show some courtesy, and above all else, do not be condescending. You may find your business going extra slow otherwise or you might just simply die in the spot.

As soon as they entered through the doors, the 'glamours' were stripped away. The closest goblin looked at them suspiciously, fingering his dangerously sharp weapon as he sized them up. Sirius put his hands up in a surrendering gesture, lest he be impaled in his pretty face. The goblin nodded, sensing no threat coming from them, and allowed them to continue onward.

The marble hall was vast and majestic, screaming if wealth and professionalism. There was a long counter running the length of the massive room, with hundreds of goblins on high stools spanning its width. Some were counting coins of gold, silver and bronze, others were filling out thick ledgers and most remarkably, a few of them were examining massive fist-sized gemstones.

Thoroughly in awe of the wealth on display, Harry walked up to the first free teller. He was an elderly looking goblin with copious amounts of wrinkles. Long white hair fell from his head and chin while small wire glasses covered his beady black eyes.

"I have an appointment with accounts manager Barchoke." He said as soon as he arrived at the tellers seat, trying to be as direct as possible but ending up sounding rather rude.

The goblin looked at him sternly from over the bench and looked to be measuring him up. Harry felt a quite a bit of caution at the gaze, thinking that he might have done something wrong. The goblin then broke into a sharp toothed grin that looked more like a snarl on his wrinkled face.

"I assume you've been taught to be direct, but weren't you also taught to be polite?" He asked and turned to stare harshly at Sirius and Remus.

"My apologies sir, of course I was. This just happens to be my first time speaking to one of your people, and thus I am inexperienced." He replied with a bow, trying his best to take the heat off of his uncles.

"Indeed. Your mistake, it is understandable, but do not make it again." He replied sternly.

"Now, what is your name so I can confirm your appointment?" He asked, beady black eyes now boring directly into his own emerald green pair.

"Harry James Potter, heir apparent of House Potter and heir presumptive to House Black." He stated with a wince, not really enjoying his titles.

The heir titles differ only in that a heir apparent's claim is absolute, while a heir presumptive means that he is the most likely successor out of multiple possible candidates. Harry is apparent to the Potter fortune because he is the last known descendant of the Potter family, and he's presumptive to the Black fortune because his godfather - lord Sirius Black - named him his heir.

The old goblin looked at him with a single raised eyebrow and held out his hand. Understanding what was about to happen, he moved closer and held his hand out as well, to which the goblin directed over a piece of parchment.

He procured an ornate knife from one of the draws in his desk and promptly sliced it across his palm, producing a long thin line of blood that dropped onto the parchment. He winced slightly in pain as he watched the blood form letters and eventually his name and titles. The goblin nodded and let his hand go.

"Doesn't this usually heal?" He asked as he looked at his still bleeding hand. Sirius had told him it would.

"Payment for your first mistake in goblin business." He simply replied as he yelled 'Griphook!' At a smaller and younger looking goblin.

He bowed in angsty recognition and farewell as he and Sirius followed this new goblin. Remus was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone off to stock up on parchment and quills for your school supplies. You know he can't be in the meeting." Sirius said, noticing his worried expression.

Remus wasn't technically one of his guardians, he remembered now. Sirius was his godfather and thus his only guardian. If he had a partner then they would also be considered one of his guardians. Remus being neither his godfather nor, Merlin forbid, Sirius's partner, made him just a family friend, despite Harry seeing him as an uncle.

They were lead by Griphook through one of the many doors leading out of the main hall. They entered a narrow and steep tunnel lit by larch bronze horns with a light charm in their openings. They walked in silence as the soft breeze grew hotter the lower they went. This was a far cry from the ornate decor of the hall.

In the distance, he heard growling unlike anything he'd heard before. It was deep and rumbling, the walls shook with its power. Harry briefly thought of when Remus mentioned that dragons sometimes guarded high security vaults. Secretly, he hoped they were walking towards a dragon, that would totally be awesome.

He was shocked out of his thoughts by the sharp rapping of the small goblins bony knuckles.

"Enter!" Shouted a gruff male voice through the door that Harry swore wasn't there seconds ago. Griphook quickly opened the door and ushered them in. Harry trailed slightly, a little bit disappointed about not seeing a dragon.

The room was ornate with rich dark wood furniture gracing the corners and a giant fireplace at the back of the room with golden inlays in the marble. If fact everything had gold in it, like they carved the office out of an actual underground gold vein. It was tastefully ostentatious.

A large walnut desk sat in the centre of the room with two guest chairs sat in front of it and a beautiful throne like seat sat behind it. There was a large - almost human sized - ancient goblin sat behind the desk. He had scars everywhere and looked to be the most battle hardened thing harry had ever seen as he gestured to the chairs opposite him.

The two of them sat there awkwardly for a minute, just staring at the goblin as he continued to work, not at all encumbered by their presence. The elderly creature was bald with loose skin and a gnarled face with half of his right ear missing and his entire left eye replaced with a giant scar. He eventually looked up with his single dark eye looking deeply his soul.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Potter?" He asked surprisingly polite.

"I've just turned eleven. If I understand correctly, then as last of my line i am able to take headship of my house?" He said as a question that he knew the answer too.

"Indeed, though that will still get you little privilege with us at Gringotts, as you are not yet of age and cannot enter your family vaults." He responded nonchalantly, which confused him as goblins were usually no nonsense and spiteful of humans.

"I understand, however you may find that it does have some… tactical advantages, in the wizarding world." Harry replied, still a little cautious.

"You wizards and your politics, much easier just to battle to the death in my opinion," He grumbled. "No matter, we can get that done easily enough, anything else?" The elder goblin continued, summoning up tea and scones. He already guessed they'd be there for awhile.

"I would like access the the heir ring of the Black house. After that we'll require his current bank statements." Sirius interjected.

"I assume I'll be doing business for you as well Mr. Black? You understand that will cost you a fee?" Barchoke asked with a gleam in his eye demonstrating the stereotypical goblin greed.

"I understand, however I am Harry's guardian and - for his first time at least - we will be doing our business together." Sirius replied strongly.

"Very well." Barchoke grinned as he scribed down all of his requirements.

He called out something in the harsh dialect of the goblin language and a nervous assistant came scrambling in to get the list and quickly left to retrieve the items on it. The room fell into silence as they delighted themselves on the beverages and waited.

"I assumed that you would like to restart your accounts and investments. If you didn't already know, they had been suspended on the night of your parents deaths. I therefore sent for the appropriate paperwork for that as well." Barchoke revealed to break the silence.

Harry was startled a little at the blunt statement and his mood darkened at the reminder of his orphaning. He simply nodded his head in gratitude and looked down to stare at his suddenly flavourless tea.

The small goblin came back with a silk bag that he deposited respectfully onto the desk. He then bowed as low as possible before scurrying out as fast as his little legs could take him. Just as Remus had told him too, he didn't comment on the blatant fear in the smaller creature as Barchoke started taking out various objects and documents. The amount he pulled out wouldn't usually be able to fit in the small bag if not for the undetectable expansion charm placed upon it.

"First off, the rings." He said holding out two boxes.

Harry took the offered box's and opened them, butterflies erupting in his stomach at what he saw inside. One was a regal and wide pure gold band with small rubies forming vine like patterns along its face. Another sizeable ruby was delicately placed in the centre. Inside the shining gemstone was a pattern done in golden filigree that resembled a kite shield with a griffin emblazoned on its surface - the Potter family crest.

The other ring was a smaller dark metal band with a cold selection of small diamonds. Their was a bigger sapphire in the middle with an engraving of a B on its surface. It was the Head of House and heir rings for the Potter and Black families respectively. They represented the fine craftsmanship of the goblin nation well in their beauty.

"Simply place the ring on your finger. If they find you worthy then they will resize to fit. If not then you may find yourself missing a digit." Barchoke informed unconcernedly as he went back to sorting through the documents on his desk.

Catching Sirius's eyes in concern, the man nodded reassuringly. Harry absolutely trusted the surety in the mans eyes that told him silently that everything would be alright. Harry took a reassuring breath. He took the head of house ring for the Potters first and placed it on his left index finger. He felt a rush of magic surround him as it judged his soul and essence. He started to glow as the rings magic and his own morphed together in a bond of pure harmony before soaking back into him. The ring had resized to fit comfortably sometime during the bonding, though Harry didn't notice when.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, do proclaim Harry James Potter, to be heir to the Noble and Most Ancient house of black and wear the ring of my family as I proclaim him of age and sound mind." His godfather said with uncharacteristic gravity as he sighed a form Barchoke presented him. Harry looked a bit emotional, feeling overwhelmed with the trust this man was placing in him to carry his family's line.

Shaking his head to clear his doubts, he repeated the same process he'd done with the previous ring, only this time on his left middle finger. As both rings were now on his hand, he looked back to the goblin as they got down to proper business.

What followed was forty minutes of analysing the current worth of his account: old and newly proposed investments, estate values and property locations, and even the possibility of renovation on Potter manor.

Harry found out just how wealthy he really was. He had several properties all around the world and his newly restarted investments - courtesy of his father and grandfathers business genius - meant that he'd never have to work a day in his life. They looked to bring in a projected nine thousand gallons per year alone - which at the current one hundred and thirty times conversion rate to pounds - was a very substantial amount.

As an old family with a rich family tree of successful business men and woman, he was 'loaded' - as the muggles would say. He knew his family had been at the forefront of many magical innovations in the past few centuries, but the thought still shocked and intimidated him nonetheless.

With all of their affairs in order and a pouch full of money due to Barchokes forethought, they quickly left the old goblin with a deep bow for all of the help and advise he'd given them before quickly leaving the bank. They both felt the desperate need for sunlight and sighed graciously once it hit their faces.

"Hi fellas, how was you trip?" Remus snarked at them, holding two ice-cream cones in his hands which looked ridiculous with his bowler hat and glasses.

"Keep it down Remus!" Madam Bones hissed as she quickly recast the 'glamours' on them, this time making Sirius look like Flitwicks taller half brother.

"Right then, straight to madam Malkins then." She said as she ushered her niece towards the popular clothing store.

They reached the 'robes for all occasions' store with no trouble at all, seamlessly blending in with the weirdest of people in the magical kingdom.

Madam Malkin herself came out to great them as they disabled the glamours in order to get accurate measurements and style choices. Noticing just who her customers were, she went to shake their hands. She did however notice the slightly worn looks on their faces and thought that they would be getting sick of all the people wanting to do the same, so she when strait into business mode and ushered them into an out of the way changing room.

She got to work, pinning a very large cloak she'd placed around Harry in order to get his size. Once she'd taken all the measurements, she asked some more specific questions like material and cut.

Harry decided to splurge a little after seeing the amount in his bank account and got his Hogwarts robes in a stylish but practical cut with the robe falling just to his knees while being form fitting around the midsection, chest and arm region. He'd also decided to get them in Acromantula silk - the highest quality material - rather than regular cotton.

When he spotted the finished product, he thought he looked like a regal heir to a prominent family, which of course he was.

With the purchases made they left the store with lighter coin pouches as they moved along to the book store. Harry already had all of the books of corse - he'd finished them through about three times already - her Susan still had to get hers.

Susan was strange to Harry. She seemed adamant in not meeting his eyes. Whenever he tried to strike up a conversation it was always short; 'what's your favourite subject?' 'Don't know', 'do you have any friends going to Hogwarts as well?' 'A few', 'why are you so red? Are you hot?' '…'. She didn't answer that question.

After Susan paid for the listed course books and Sirius dragged a pouting Harry away from the duelling section, they went purchase their potions supplies and get their cauldrons. They bought a basic supply of potions ingredients, while Harry personally scooped some extras as he knew he'd probably like to experiment at school.

They went and got a standard pewter cauldron, however Harry was very interested in the golden cauldrons. Potions was the only magic he was able to actually perform, so he was always eager to set up his work station in the dungeons of Black estate. He'd never used a golden cauldron though. He read that they were fantastic for making more powerful and potent potions yet were extremely volatile if not tempered absolutely correctly.

It was Remus who dragged him away this time.

Harry also decided to get an owl for regular communication with friends if he ever made any. As soon as he entered Eeylops Owl Emporium - the really loud building he'd noticed when he first entered the alley - a beautiful snowy owl alighted on his shoulder and gently hooted and bobbed. It almost looked and sounded like an affirmative nod, as if she'd been waiting for him.

"Troublesome that one, bites everyone that gets close. Sure seems to like you though." The old man behind the counter grumbled.

Harry smiled and purchased the amber eyed bird along with a few treats for her - he guessed it was a her - and a smaller perch to go along with his larger one at home. Ordering the owl to fly to Black estate, he watched as the bird flew off over the buildings.

"We'd best be off then," said madam Bones, "we already got Susan's wand when you two were in the back." She reasoned.

"Well it has certainly been a pleasure catching up my dear Amelia," Sirius smirked with a flowing bow, "if you wand to meet up some other time, you know how to reach me." He continued with a wink.

She merely raised an eyebrow before shaking hands with Remus and Harry and stalking off, a waving Susan in her wake.

"Tough break there Siri, almost had her." Remus snarked sarcastically.

"Just you wait boys, give it a few months and she'll be begging for my touch." He replied wistfully.

"That's disgusting." Harry said before heading towards their next destination, a laughing Remus and a sad Sirius trailing behind him.

They arrived at Ollivanders wand shop - a narrow and dingy place - and walked into the dusty shop to the chime of a bell. Unknown to them, the 'glamours' disappeared just like at Gringotts. The store was old, musty and disconcertingly quiet. They walked in a little further to stand at the counter, which was dwarfed by the enormous shelves that groaned under the weight of hundreds of regular boxes.

Harry started to feel greatly uncomfortable, as if somebody was watching him looked to Sirius and Remus in question as his uncles had been here before and noticed that it was actually them there. They just shrugged their shoulders in confusion - also realising that they'd been revealed sometime. Looking back at the way they came, the two men went to see if their was a 'closed' sign anywhere

"Good Afternoon." They heard from behind them making them all jump in shock.

Harry turned and saw an elderly man with thin white hair that dangled limply to his shoulders. He was scrawny with a slight hunch back as he shuffled a little closer. His pale silver eyes like twin moons as they stared into his soul, calculating its strengths and weaknesses.

"Yes, i must I've been waiting for you to come in search of your wand." He said mysteriously, creeping Harry out. "You have your mothers yes, it seems like just yesterday she was in here buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches, swishy, made of willow. I no doubt knew she was to become a charms master with a wand like that." He commented.

Harry smiled sadly at the thought of his mother's greatness as Mr. Ollivander moved closer, his eyes never blinking as he continued, "your father differed however, favouring a mahogany wand. Eleven inches and pliable, a little more power and excellent at transfiguration."

He turned to Sirius and Remus and looked them over. He made a small hand gesture to silently ask to see their wands, to which they complied.

"Ah yes, I remember these. Dogwood and dragon heartstring, flexible, twelve inches. It has a basic ability to do all magics well, yet tends to extend into dramatics." He said looking at Sirius who nodded his head with a grin.

"Yours was a Phoenix feather wand with cherry wood, fourteen inches and swishy. Yours was greatly suited to enchanting magic and charm work." He said looking towards Remus this time who smiled in response.

"Now to you Mr. Potter. What wand would you have?" He asked rhetorically as he returned his gaze back to Harry. He gently brushed the bangs aside to look at the scar. "It pains me to say I sold the wand that did this. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. So exceptionally powerful, and in the wrong hands… so destructive." He said in barely a whisper, his voice so soft and regretful.

"Well then, let's find you something shall we?" He asked into the dim atmosphere. Harry was shaken out of his blank stare by a misty eyed Sirius who gently hugged him before a rapidly moving tape measure intruded on their moment.

As the tape measure was sizing up hard in the oddest ways, Mr. Ollivander went to work. "Which is your dominant arm?" He asked, "the right I guess." Harry replied dully.

He barely listened to his speech as the wand maker talked about how wands had a core magical substance, how he used unicorn tail hairs, Phoenix feathers and dragon heartstrings. He stated that no wand was alike and that it was them that chose the wizard, not the other way around.

He perked up again when Mr. Ollivander came back with a broad selection of wands which either didn't work or caused something to explode when he tried them. This process continued for nigh on fifty minutes as he swore he tried every wand in the shop, yet at every failed attempt the odd man just got more exited.

Just as he'd destroyed the same ornate vase for the hundredth time, which was promptly mended by Sirius, Ollivander gained a conspiratorial look in his eyes as he strode back into the depths of his shop. He came back a minute latter with a single dusty black box. He put the box down next the the mountain of tried wands with shaking hands. Harry didn't know if the old man was nervous or excited.

"This one maybe - yes definitely - here you go." he said as he pushed the box over to the boy. "Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. An odd combination I must say, yet you are not quite so normal now are you Mr. potter?"

Not knowing whether that was a compliment or not, he opened the box and took out the wand. Immediately the wand felt warm in his hand before that warmth shot right through his body and to his core. He gasped out as bright gold and red sparks filled the room with their brilliance.

Ollivander stood there clapping once the spectacle had died down with Sirius sending out a whistle through his fingers in cheer. Remus clapped Harry on the back with a 'congratulations!"

"Bravo! Bravo! And how curious indeed." Mr. Ollivander exclaimed as he examined the wand in Harry's hand. Harry looked at him questioningly.

"Holly and Phoenix feather… again a rather unusual combination of wand core and wood but a powerful one none the less. I think this shall serve you well… yet curious… curious indeed" he mumbled not noticing Harry's look.

"How is it curious?" He asked wanting to know why the Wandmaker seemed so distracted.

"I remember every single wand I've sold, Mr potter. I remember one of yew instead of holly, the core a feather donated by the same Phoenix as your own. This makes them brother wands, and It was the brother that gave you that scar." He revealed causing all those in the room to pale.

"Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter... After all, he-who-must-not-be-named did great things - terrible, yes, but great." He finished, still gazing at the lightning bolt on his forehead.

Harry looked sick as he glanced at his wand. It felt wrong all of the sudden. It's brother murdered his parents. It was held by the most vile man that has ever lived. However, it chose him and he's not likely to get another one, so he placed it back in the box and paid for it.

They exited the shop, still a little on edge. They were grateful that they had finally left the musty air of the shop, the sun now set.

The three of them walked to the end of the alley to the Leaky Cauldron in silence - not needing to reset disguises as their were only a few people still milling about - and back out into muggle London.

They traced their steps back to the alley down the street and apparated home. Sirius gripped Harry in a tight hug, Remus joining soon after as Harry silently cried into his godfathers cloak.

"It's okay Harry, it doesn't mean anything. Like Ollivander said, no two wands are the same, okay?" Sirius consoled the boy that gripped his shirt.

All three of them were exhausted, but sleep evaded them that night. They were all stuck in a cycle of bad nightmares that where kicked up by the revelations of the day, more specifically, of Harry's wand, its brother, and the evil man who wielded it.


	3. All Aboard!

A/N: sorry again for the delay, not going to lie i kind of hit a block and I just turned eighteen so i was caught up in the festivities, and the excitement of the occasion severely limited my writing and editing time. There is also this whole virus stuff going around, I hope everyone reading is safe and healthy, and perhaps you can find a little reprieve from everything in my writing.

Your reviews have been greatly appropriated :)

All Aboard!

~ **25 Granger's st. Hampstead, 1st September** ~

Today was the day.

The room was barely lit with the first morning rays as a girl leapt out of bed in her baby blue nightly. She stood there, stock still and seemingly hyperventilating before dashing out of the small bedroom. Well, more like a library with a bed in it.

With her hair looking like a haphazardly build birds nest, she raced into the bathroom.

She'd been waiting for this day for almost a year. Eleven months ago, a strange woman who called herself professor McGonagall had visited her house on the weekend after her birthday. She was rather odd looking: long and dark emerald robes, pointy hat, and a severe expression. It was safe to say that neither she nor her family had ever met such a woman.

What was more bizarre was her accusations. The girl had felt severely slighted when she thought the elderly woman was picking on her. She'd held a letter that was addressed to her, and it stated that she was a witch that was accepted into an extremely prestigious magical school. Of course it was a joke.

Or was it?

Strange things had happened around her for her entire life, that much she admitted. For example, when she was four, she was in the middle of one of her famously heated tantrums when every lightbulb on the first floor suddenly exploded. It could of been easily written off as an accident, but according to her parents - Daniel and Eveline - it happened every single time she lost her temper as a babe.

Furthermore, she'd somehow managed to return her library books without actually visiting the library. She was deathly concerned and agitated when she realised that she was a day overdue on her book lease. She woke up the next morning to find the books had vanished, only for her to find them later that day, the librarian complimenting her on her punctuality.

Though of course she was still skeptical and none more so than her parents. Magic? Really? This woman must be mad. There was no conceivable way that some mysterious force that was unidentified by science would be able to alter the laws of the universe.

So the 'Professor' thought a demonstration was in order.

When she'd demonstrated the art called transfiguration, all doubts were dispelled immediately. Using a slim stick she called a wand, she turned their teapot into a Gerbil. They had been dumbfounded.

It was at that moment that Hermione Granger fell in love, and it was with the wondrous force called magic. Her parents could no longer deny the fact that their only daughter, was in fact, a witch.

The myriad of emotions that resulted due to such a revolution was near overwhelming. They were worried, distraught and lost yet most peculiarly happy, curios and proud all at the same time.

Their largest issue wasn't that she was magical, but rather the fact that their daughter had a rather brainy reputation that she needed to uphold. She could have made it into some of the posh Ivy League schools if she continued to excel in her 'mundane' schooling, but now what where they to do? She was a witch, a person capable of magic, and it would be cruel to deny her the privilege of learning about her life changing gift.

Hermione herself couldn't wait to go to a new school where she could try and make new friends and experiment with her newly discovered gift.

Throughout her entire childhood, she'd managed to make no companions whatsoever. While that was not necessarily due to her intelligence, she had no doubt that they were jealous in some way. At least that was what she told herself so her loneliness wouldn't hurt as much. She knew she was smarter than her peers, so she tried not to care to much about their harsh comments. Of course, that never worked though.

She was incredibly self conscious of herself because of what they'd call her. 'Buck-tooth bookworm', 'bushy-haired brat' and 'stupid teachers pet' were just a few of the names that were greatly damaging to her self esteem. True, her front teeth were slightly long, but not enough to be buck toothed. Her hair was also bushy, but she had no control over that unless she spent hours a day trying to straighten it. She didn't think of herself as a teachers pet - she just put her hand up more than the other kids, a lot more. Either way, kids were mean and her confidence had taken a beating over the years.

It was therefore her hope that she would finally find friends at Hogwarts. Maybe they could become friends over learning magic? She really wished so. Maybe she could tell some of those 'purebloods' that professor McGonagall had mentioned about of the muggle world and they can teach her all about the magical world.

The community that these magic born grew up in was simply amazing, if a little backwards. When the professor took them to Diagon ally, all three Grangers were simply gobsmacked. The colours and the vibrancy of the British magical communities largest shopping district was extraordinary. It was marvellous to see all the different magical things, like flying broomsticks and strange mythological creatures and wands - which was that stick the professor used to change their ceramics into a cute little critter.

Nearly everyone in the alley were wearing robes, which made the cobbled streets look like they were taken out of a novel set in the eighteen hundreds. When she asked professor Mcgonagall about why they all wore robes, she simply replied that it was magical culture, much like how men from India wear turbans. She nodded in thought, figuring she needed to find out as much about this 'culture' as she could before she went to school, lest she insult someone in her ignorance.

When they first went to Gringotts and saw the goblins, she was horrified - she nearly wet herself that's how frightened she was. They were so scary and intimidating with their full plate armour and sharp spears. You could never tell if they were smiling, neutral faced or about to kill you. Once they'd exchanged their money for wizarding currency, they got out of there as quickly as possible.

She along with her mother, Eveline, found the shopping to be delightful. They'd all gone shopping for some of those robes first so they could better fit in amongst the crowd. Then they spent approximately two hours scouring the alley for all her school supplies and looking at all the amazing and interesting things. The professor had left them to it, stating that she had work to mark, resulting in three strangers, alone, in this new magical world. It was a little daunting if they were being honest, but ultimately one of the most surreal experiences they've ever had.

They returned to the ally two times over the next year for new books, as she'd already read each and every one of her course books - multiple times. It was also to remind themselves that there actually was a completely hidden world out there.

Today though - present day - was the day that she was finally going to Hogwarts. Her recollection of the past year ended just as she finished brushing her teeth and getting dressed.

She took one last look at herself in the mirror, simple jeans and a white blouse under a navy blue jacket, her comfy new dragon hide boots encasing her feet. She was going to be changing into her robes immediately so she didn't see the sense to where anything special. She didn't think herself pretty by any definition of the word, but that couldn't bother her today as she walked back to her room.

It was still only six o'clock in the morning.

The next four hours felt like the longest of her life as she waited for her parents to take her to Kings Cross. 'The train leaves at eleven dear, we'll get there fifteen minutes early so you'll have plenty of time to settle down,' they'd say, prolonging the inevitable in her opinion. She spent the time going over her books once again.

They finally reached the barrier between the worlds at the intersection of platforms nine and ten. It was fifteen till eleven exactly, much to Hermione's consternation. She had her heavy luggage on a trolley as she gave her parents one final tearful goodbye since they, as muggles, couldn't get onto the platform. She let them go and took a steadying breath before running, trolley and all, into the brick archway.

Half expecting to ram face first into the solid obstacle, she miraculously came out the other side and gasped in astonishment. Parked on this hidden platform was a bright red steam train that puffed out multi coloured balls of smoke, a light rainbow haze resting in the air. How there was a whole platform hidden in a wall was beyond her, but she promised herself that she'd find out one day.

It was still rather early but there was a surprising amount people milling about. She decided she would find a spot to sit before all of them were taken, so she moved towards one of the carriages at the front of the train, just so she could be closer to the driver.

As she tried to haul her bag off the trolley, she realised that she had put way to many books in. Not one for exercising, she found it impossible to lift. Her father had done it before so she decided to ask someone older for help.

She spotted a group of girls nearby, gossiping about some guys smile in a magazine. They already had their robes on which were trimmed blue. Usually she didn't really like people like them - giggling stupidly about boys - but she needed help and they looked strong enough.

"Excuse me? I'm having a little trouble with my bag." She said politely only to be ignored.

She tried again but to no avail. Her resolve crumbled a little at being disregarded so blatantly. Nevertheless, she mustered up some more courage and looked for someone else. She spotted a pair of boys who looked to be around mid teens talking about some game called Quidditch, which she remembered was the main sport in the wizarding world. They wore robes as well, except theirs were trimmed in green.

"Hello. Sorry to interrupt but can i please have some help with my bag?" She asked just as politely as before. These two didn't ignore her though.

"What's this? A mudblood asking us for help?" The one on the right scowled horrendously. She didn't know what the word meant exactly, but 'mud' and 'blood' suggested something derogatory.

"Know your place filth!" The other howled and spat at her feet.

She felt tears come to her eyes as they walked off. 'What did i do to deserve that?' She thought miserably. It was going to be exactly like before, in her muggle school, only this was worse than anything she'd ever experienced before. 'Filth? Am I really that bad?' She thought as depression hung to her form. She was foolish to think that she could ever make friends. She'll be just as teased and ridiculed in this world as she was in the muggle one. She briefly entertained the thought of going back through the barrier, but her parents where probably already gone and she had no way of contacting them. She was alone.

She returned to her luggage and tried to tug at in one more time. She was shaking furiously with barely controlled emotion as a lone tear fell from her wet brown eyes. Why did she even come?

"Can I help you miss?" Said a concerned voice.

She looked up and saw a most handsome boy she had ever seen. Lean and confident frame with messy black hair like the darkness of midnight. His face was striking and his beautiful emerald eyes shone in concern behind round gold-rimmed glasses. Why on earth would someone like him help her?

She nodded shyly as she wiped the tear off her cheek hastily. Her heart melted when he smiled at her. 'Okay, maybe it isn't all that bad' she thought as she smiled back at him shyly, hope once again burning in her heart.

~ **Kings Cross station** ~

Walking along the platform of nine and three quarters was like a celebrity waltzing down the red carpet the the hungry cameras of the paparazzi. Harry hated the stares, the pointed fingers, the whispered exclamations of awe. He found it utterly ridiculous.

Sirius frowned again for what seemed like the millionth time that month. Harry had changed after Diagon alley. He wasn't as talkative, less chipper, more broody. Not that he was the most social kid in the first place.

He supposed that it would have been quite a shock to the system, all of the crowds and people practically worshipping the ground he walked on, and being raised in isolation didn't help with that at all. With the fact that he'd be spending years of his life in a place where people would constantly be watching him, Sirius could at least understand his mood, yet that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

Remus had noticed the same change, but looking deeper, he could tell the boy was tired. Tired physically and emotionally. Harry had been mumbling things about nightmares over his breakfast for weeks now, always looking like he'd not slept a wink. Whatever the case, he thought it would be good for his pup to go to Hogwarts, get engrossed in classes, make some friends and take his mind off everything. However, he also disliked the cynical turn the boy had gone down and also wished for the happy and eccentric child to re-emerge, but despite their efforts, Sirius and Remus were unable to bring him out of his funk.

They walked through the station towards the train. People would notice who they were and come over to greet them. Harry took all the attention mutely, at the very most shaking people's hands. Philosophically, he thought it was a little strange seeing that many of these people would be his fellow students come the evening and that he'd certainly have no issue finding 'friends', but then the angsty pre-teen in him would bring his silent irritation back to the fore.

Just as he was about to board the train to find a compartment, they were halted by an intimidating woman wearing royal green robes and a stuffed raven on her hat. There was a shy, round-faced boy with dirty blonde hair standing behind her turning immensely red in the face. Harry sighed internally at yet another interruption.

"Good morning madam Longbottom, it's been awhile." Sirius started by taking her hand to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"Good morning too you too, lord Black. Might I assume this is the young Mr. Potter?" She asked in an aloof tone, seemingly ignoring Remus.

"I am ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said stepping forward and taking her hand, brushing his lips on her knuckles as Sirius did.

He recognised that this was an important woman and should be treated as such if godfathers own actions were anything to go by. However he will admit to lying, what he was feeling was far from pleasure.

"Charmed. This is my grandson, Neville, he will be in the same year as you. Perhaps you can go find a compartment together." She all but demanded while exposing the boy behind her.

He looked to Sirius and Remus, who simply nodded their assent. He sighed internally again in frustration at being ordered around but managed to smile tightly at the boy anyway, leading him to the train with their trunks trailing behind them.

Not a word was spoken between them on the short trip. Neville seemed to be choking on his own thoughts much less his tongue, and Harry just preferred silence - his new natural element. They quickly found a compartment in the middle of the train, which both of them agreed would be suitable. Well, more like Harry said it was 'good enough' with Neville hastening to nod in agreement.

The compartment was on the smaller side, despite the train being magically expanded on the interiors. It had two high backed and plush bench chairs that Harry hoped would remain comfortable enough for the eight hour train ride. There was a large window and a small bench on the wall opposite the door that provided them a view of the platform. In total, six people could probably fit in comfortably - though Harry would prefer much less and by the look on his face, Neville would too.

As Neville struggled to heft his luggage into the above head storage, Harry had already stored his belongings and was already waiting by the door. He was utterly fascinated by the display the other boy was putting on. He could help of course, but what would the fun be in that?

When Neville finally managed to shove his trunk into position, he was huffing and blushed - in both fatigue and embarrassment Harry assumed. Neville turned to the other boy and found his piercing gaze to be ever so uncomfortable. Like his very soul was being read by a curious child, a child who just so happened to be holding a knife. It was an odd feeling that he'd never felt before, that was for sure.

Noticing his shy and flustered demeanour, Harry decided to take the lead. "Harry Potter." He said, holding out his hand.

"N-neville Longbottom, I-i already know who you are." The boy said stuttering a little while hesitantly taking his hand.

"I'm just a normal guy, Neville, I already get enough people praising me for something I don't remember." Harry said a little bitterly. Neville noticed to tone and rushed to reassure him.

"N-no! I meant that I know you from my g-grandmother. She's told me that our parents were friends during school." He rushed out still stuttering. Harry looked slightly abashed for a second at his own brash behaviour.

"Oh, yeah my godfather said the same… Sorry Neville, I've just had a stressful month." He said apologetically, and Neville quickly noticed that Harry's emotions seem to get broadcasted through his eyes, as he felt a lot more at ease with the way the other boy was looking at him now. Less like a particularly interesting lab experiment.

"I saw that in the prophet, the Diagon stuff, people rejoicing in the return of the 'boy-who-lived', it's mental I tell you." Neville said with a shake of his head, gaining some level of composure with Harry's admittedly surprising down-to-earth attitude. He was at least talking without the stutter now. Unknown to him, he'd just landed himself in Harry's good graces with that comment.

"Yeah, well, how about we head back out? We can get to know each other more later." Harry suggested. He still had to say goodbye to his uncles after all.

Neville nodded and soon enough they were back out with their guardians. After a few more minutes of talking - serious stuff about politics and alliances - madame Longbottom left with strict instructions to Neville about doing well and honouring the Longbottom name, said boy going back to the compartment with his tail between his legs.

"Geez… tough woman." Sirius commented under his breath as Remus straightened Harry up.

"You know what happened to her son Sirius, I think she's allowed a little sternness." Remus replied quietly with a sad smile.

Harry was alone now with the two men, however the platform was starting to fill up and their were reporters now scoping out the crowds, so they decided to make it quick.

The two marauders knelt down in front of their ward. "Okay pup, you ready? Remember, if you get detention on the first week, we're going out for ice-cream to celebrate." Sirius said with a grin. Remus rolled his eyes at his friends antics.

"Just have fun Harry and do your best… your parents would be so proud." Remus told him softly, emotion colouring his tone. Harry looked down at that now on the verge of tears. He'd seen many happy children saying goodbye to their parents, being wrapped in their loving embrace… he shouldn't be so selfish, but he could help but image his own parents holding him and saying they loved him.

As if Sirius could read his thoughts, he wrapped the boy in an embrace. "Oh pup, they'll always be watching over you, just like us," Sirius said thickly, "your such a smart, generous and awesomely mischievous little man that has become the centre of our universe, but your a grown boy now Harry and it's time the world saw you as you really were." He said as tears prickled the edges of his own eyes.

Harry gripped on tighter, his face now wet. "I'm scared Siri," he mumbled into his godfathers shoulder. Remus lent in and planted a kiss on the boys head. The situation was quickly becoming to emotional for all of them - If this kept up, they wouldn't be able to let go.

Gently prying the boy from Sirius, Remus firmly planted the boy at arms length. "Harry, you have nothing to be afraid of. You're a talented, powerful and intelligent young man who is going to take the school by storm," he said fiercely, "you are going to make lots of friends, you are going to learn all you can about magic, and you are going to do the impossible in making us more proud than we already are." He finished as he shifted to cup the boys face in his hands.

"It's your time to shine pup, everything you've prepared for leads to this, but that doesn't mean you neglect us, alright? I want you to use the mirrors and call us every day, I want to know about everything." Sirius said as it was his turn to pull Remus back from Harry.

They raised this boy - nurtured him for the past decade - and the well of love they felt as they watched the determined glint enter his eye, was indescribable. They'd grown so close it hurt to be apart, but they'd also spent years preparing for this moment, and they had their own plans they needed to move forward with.

Sirius flicked his wand, erasing all evidence of the waterworks from their faces. "Now get going would you?" He said with a smile

Harry nodded resolutely as he turned to face the train and smiled as they nudged him towards it. He heard the mumbled 'love you kiddo' from Remus and 'gonna miss you pup' from Sirius as he walked back to his compartment, leaving his uncles for the first time since the night his parents died.

On the way, he saw a girl struggling with her luggage. She was clearly distraught as she tried to tug at her massive bag with her small arms. He walked over to see that she was shaking and his concern grew. She was clearly a muggleborn by the way she dressed, maybe she was just missing her parents? He looked around and saw a glimpse of green robes nearby. 'Ah, so she asked a Slytherin for help then' he deduced as he saw her give up on her bag, an image of hopelessness etching onto her features.

"Can I help you miss?" He asked kindly.

She looked up in surprise at his voice, not a little ashamed to be caught in such an embarrassing position. The first thing he noticed was her bushy brown hair, rather large front teeth and chocolate brown eyes that shone with tears. Her face was soft, if a little tear stained. She nodded shyly as she quickly wiped at her flushed cheeks.

He gave her a small smile before hefting up her bag. 'Sweet Merlin! No wonder she was struggling,' he thought as he discreetly waved his other hand over the bag. He then lifted it with ease and motioned her to the train.

The girl looked at him in shock for a second, like a million questions were running through her head. However, she held her tongue thinking that asking a ton of questions when you'd only just met a person would be quite annoying.

Looking back at his guardians, Harry waved one final time. The looks on their faces were enough to cause butterflies to erupt in his stomach. He'd never felt so loved in his life.

They waved back at the boy, admiring him once again as he helped a stranger with her trunk not a minute after leaving them.

Harry watched as they both grinned and apparated out of the station. The immediate pang of loss resulting from their departure was quickly squashed as he noticed the girl looking at him curiously.

He motioned for her to follow him as he lead her to his shared compartment - he was sure Neville wouldn't mind. She seemed like an nice enough girl, just a little waterlogged from tears, and he couldn't in right conscience leave her after seeing the state she was in.

"Where are we going?" She asked softly, still not quite confident around this random person.

"I've already got my stuff in a compartment with another boy, would you like to join us?" He asked halting mid step, realising he'd forgotten to actually ask if she'd be okay with it.

"Yes please." She responded while smiling this time. He nodded back as he set off again.

"I thought we weren't allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts?" She asked, already deducing that he must be a second year at the very least if he already knew how to cast spells.

"The train is called the 'Hogwarts Express'. By name it's technically a part of the school so feel free to practice if you'd like to, as long as it's nothing dangerous that is." He said nonchalantly with a shrug. She just nodded enthusiastically, admitting to herself that she was extremely excited by the prospect of finally using her wand.

Soon enough they where at the compartment. He knocked, saying 'it's Harry' through the door. The door quickly opened to reveal a chubby boy. The girl had a little tickle in her mind at the name 'Harry', but couldn't place what it was.

"I've brought a friend." Harry said as he motioned behind him to his invited guest. Hermione's stomach lit up at that, all sense of concern suddenly falling away. In hindsight, she shouldn't instantly trust everyone that calls her a friend, but it was the first time she'd heard such a term used by another person, _for her._

Both Neville and the girl waved a little awkwardly as Harry easily lifted the bag into the over head storage, before dropping the charm. He winced as the rack that held the bag groaned slightly before settling down.

"Maybe don't sit directly under that, it's bloody heavy I'll tell you that much!" He said more to Neville that anything, who was looking on with an expression of slight amusement.

"Language…" she muttered unconsciously. He turned and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pardon?" He replied.

"Don't curse, it's not nice." She responded with her hands on her hips, a bossy tone flavouring her words.

"As in magical curses?" He said looking completely oblivious.

"No as in… just watch your language please." She exasperatedly told him, not knowing if he was joking or not.

"How can I watch my language? That's usually something you hear isn't it?" He questioned with a smirk to the snort of Neville.

She rolled her eyes at his response but couldn't rightfully tell him off for the quip. They did just meet after all.

"Whatever, If you actually wanted to know, Its just books, I didn't know which ones to bring so I just brought all of them." she answered his question a bit stiffly.

"Well then, we'll see if we can teach you the 'feather-light charm' some time." Harry said with an apologetic smile. He was just trying to break the ice but he realised that he'd annoyed her somewhat. She looked at him curiously, wondering if that's what he used to carry her bag so effortlessly. She supposed it made sense as she remembered reading that that was the main purpose of the spell.

They found their seats and got comfortable for the long journey to come. Neville sat on one side in the middle, Harry and hermione sat on the other with Harry being closest to the window.

"Now, introductions?" He said, pointing at Neville to go first. That boy needed some confidence and there was no better time than now for him to start getting some.

"Oh, ah… N-Neville, Neville Longbottom. I-I'm a pureblood, heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom." He stuttered out having been put on the spot.

Harry just nodded his head but couldn't help but be slightly put off by the boy's skittish attitude. He knew that they'd only just met, but he'd been nice enough to him. He thought back to the imposing nature of Nevilles gran. 'Maybe she was why he was so cagey?' He shook of his thoughts before turning to the girl.

"Hermione Granger. I'm muggleborn." She said confidently.

Harry nodded with a smile. She was proud of her muggle heritage, that was obvious enough. He's been told many times that his mother was the same, often bragging about the fact that she knew the complexities of both worlds. He had a feeling that this girl, Hermione, would not accept the pure blood propaganda against muggleborns sitting down. Yet he still couldn't get the sad image of a crying girl out of his head.

"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Harry Potter, head of the Noble House of Potter and heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black - Yada Yada Yada." He said, sighing in resignation when he saw the shocked look on his female companions face.

"Harry Potter? I've read all about you, of course. " Hermione said enthusiastically. Harry frowned, a bit disturbed by that statement.

"Really?" He said.

"Well, your mentioned in 'Modern Magical History', 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts' and 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century'," Hermione said as she gave him a look over once again, "though they seem to have got your description wrong."

He looked nothing like the books described him. They all said he was small and scrawny and looked exactly like his father with emerald green eyes. While she didn't know what his dad looked like, Harry was by no means small and scrawny. She'd actually mistaken him for a second year at first with his build and aptitude in magic. He did have the glasses though and the eyes, and she thought she could see a hint of the scar peaking out from under a tuft of his hair.

"Lets just say this. There are only two people to my knowledge that survived the night my parents died. That's me and my godfather, Sirius Black. Nobody since then has ever came to us for information or asked for consent to use our names, so do not go believing superstition and falsehoods." He said letting a bit of anger slip into his voice.

Theres no doubt that books with 'the-boy-who-lived' on it would have been best sellers, especially from what he witnessed at Diagon alley. However, his name was being used without his or his guardians consent, making it illegal and vulnerable to a lawsuit. He'll tell Sirius about it and see what they could do since they were finally back in the public scene.

Both Neville and Hermione were a little disconcerted at the glow that came to Harry's eyes as he spoke. Neither of them had seen anything like it before and wondering if it was just caused by the bright lighting in the compartment or Harry's actual emotions.

"So, um, your heir black? And head of your house too?" Neville asked into the silence to change the subject.

"Yep." Harry said flashing the two rings on his hand, not willing to say any more.

Hermione gasped at jewellery and their exquisite designs. They were brilliant even compared to the really expensive pieces she'd seen in the high end jewellery stores. She'd heard about goblin smithing and jewellery in 'Hogwarts: A History', which had mentions of Ravenclaws diadem and Gryffindors sword. She marvelled at how the craftsmanship managed to make the large jewels as exquisite material look regal and 'manly'. However It was said that goblin made artefacts were closely guarded. She'll have to research magical households and titles more sometime. At least she understood what the two boys were talking about when they mentioned ancient and Noble houses.

Neville on the other hand, didn't stare in wonder. In fact, he paled slightly. This was big. If Harry became lord potter and lord Black he would have a significant amount power and influence in the magical government. Of course he'd have opposition but even still, there was a large chance that the wizarding world would change dramatically if he gained those seats. He grew up learning politics from his gran as he would one day become lord Longbottom, and he knew the importance of making alliances early. If he could start one with Harry, it could only benefit the Longbottom's in his opinion.

Seeing that Harry was done talking for the moment as he still seemed a bit irritated and Neville was busy composing himself, Hermione took that opportunity to take out her wand. Neville looked at her curiously while Harry glanced over and smiled. Noticing the looks she was received she spoke up.

"You said we could practice magic on the train as it's part of Hogwarts property right?" She asked looking at Harry who nodded.

"Well then, I've been ever so eager to try some spells. I've memorised all of our course books of course as I was ever so pleased to be accepted into Hogwarts. It's the best school for Witchcraft I've heard! It was quite a shock to my parents and I when professor McGonagall turned our teapot into a gerbil but we were so very excited, and I've even made plenty of return trips to the alley…" She said stopping herself as she saw the faces of her companions.

She'd been getting quicker with each syllable and hadn't taken a single breath the entire time she spoke. Harry just gazed at her amusedly while Neville looked like he had a bad case of vertigo. She looked down a little in embarrassment. This was something that the kids used to bully her about at her muggle school, yet she could she no hint of resentment in their faces.

She pushed those thoughts away and instead tried her first ever spell. Just as the words were about to leave her lips, the door slid open. Standing there was a large boy that looked to be around their age. The boy's fiery red hair keyed Harry into the fact that this was a Weasley, probably Ronald judging by the age.

"Excuse me is there room in here? Everywhere else is full." He said with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Sure." Harry said gesturing over to Nevilles side of the compartment. "Cheers mate!" The boy responded gratefully.

"I'm Ron Weasley by the way, it's bloody crazy out there mate, you guys got the lucky seats." He introduced himself, confirming Harry's suspicions.

Looking back out the window, Harry was shocked at what he saw. Hundreds of people crowded the platform, cats of all shapes and sizes weaving through all the legs and owls were gliding through the air. He was glad he came early.

"Pleasure," Hermione said speaking up, "I'm Hermione Granger… you have dirt on your nose, right there." She pointed out, rubbing a part of her own nose to demonstrate. The boy sheepishly rubbed his nose trying to get the stain off, before giving up once he saw her shaking her head.

"Hey Neville, how have you been?" Ron asked instead, looking at the boy next to him. Hermione's interest peaked, recognising that they knew each other already.

"I've been alright I guess, nervous." Neville admitted.

"What's new?" Ron replied with a grin causing Neville to redden in embarrassment.

"Excuse me, how do you two know each other, if I might ask?" Hermione interjected curiously.

"Well our family's are old friends dating back do our great grandparents. My dad also works at the ministry in the misuse of muggle artefacts office, while Neville's gran works in the wizengamot, so we've had a few play dates when they were away." Ron explained with Neville nodding along.

They all turned to a sound on their left. "Bugger!" Harry exclaimed as a massive toad landed on his head.

"Trevor!" Neville yelled as he leapt up and extracted the amphibian from the boys jet-black locks. Ron was roaring in laughter while Hermione's stifled a giggle at Harry's expense.

"Really Neville? A toad? You could have brought a cat or an owl or any other interesting creature, but instead you've brought a toad?" Harry asked exasperatedly as he wiped his head, checking to see if there was any goop left behind from the strange animal.

"He's a family pet! He's usually really lazy but since we got on the train he's gone bonkers!" He practically yelled in embarrassment.

"I haven't seen him at all yet Neville." Hermione interjected as she got her giggles under control.

"That's because I lost him when we got on." Neville responded as he shoved the toad back into his coat pocket.

"Either way, having someones toad nest on your head is certainly an interesting bonding experience," Harry rejoined with a small grin after concluding that his hair was goo free, "I'm Harry by the way." He said looking towards Ron as he introduced himself.

Ron's eyes widened as a look of realisation came over his face, "as in Harry Potter? Do… do you have the… the _scar?_" He questioned quietly.

Hermione frowned at what she thought was an intrusive question. Harry simply answered with a 'yes', though all of them could hear the warning in his tone.

It was at that moment when a piercing whistle echoes throughout the platform, signalling the trains departure. Harry sighed as he got more comfortable.

"I'm gonna have a nap if that's alright with you lot." He mumbled as he pulled his robes over his head to block out the bright light in the cabin.

They all nodded seeing as they had no reason to object. Ron himself was still in awe of who he was sharing a compartment with, Neville was considered asking him to stay awake in order to get to know him better but shied away from doing so, and Hermione was just glad that she had people to talk to without them talking down at her.

For the next hour and a bit, the three of them that were awake got to know each other. The differences in the threes life was astronomical. Hermione being muggle middle-class, Ron on the lower-class spectrum of pureblood's and Neville living a life in a large manor with an extremely doting grandmother.

Hermione told them both about the muggle world. She told them how the primary education system worked and how she was always at the top of her class, what muggle shopping was like and really anything in answer to their questions. She even got comfortable enough to say how she hoped that Hogwarts would provide her with a home away from home as well as be a place were she could satisfy her fascination and want to study of magic. She briefly mentioned her lack of friends and how many of her peers were 'less than stellar' in their treatment of her, but did not go into details.

Ron then talked about his family. He was a pureblood for many generations and lived in an unusually large household. Of his six brothers, he was the youngest and - in his opinion - the least liked. His brother Bill had been head boy, Charlie the quidditch captain, Percy a perfect student and Fred and George were the funny ones. He was bitter about his hand-me-down robes, wand and rat - a fat grey monstrosity in Hermione's opinion - and the fact that even if he accomplished something, his brothers have probably done it already.

Neville quite frankly was just happy to be there. He was telling them what it was like to grow up with madam Longbottom as a guardian, how truely terrifying she could be and how she often tried comparing him to his father - her son - and ending up disappointed. He told them how his magic didn't show until late. When he was eight, his grand uncle Algie has 'accidentally' dropped him out of a second story window, Neville's magic thankfully saving him from harm. Hermione was suitably horrified while Ron had heard it all before.

It was strange thought that as each of them spoke, the other two would find something to be jealous about. Hermione was jealous of Ron for his siblings, as she'd only ever dreamed of having a brother or sister - she was an only child - and jealous of both of the boys for growing up in such a fantastical world. Ron was jealous of Hermione and Neville for all of their new robes and wands and books, wishing that his family would have enough spare change to give him that at the least. And Neville, he was jealous that the other two had parents. He didn't reveal what had happened his parents, but he silently hurt every time they talked about their families.

Unknown to them, a silent ear was listening in. Harry wasn't as asleep as they thought and had heard every single word they'd said. He was greatly curious about each of them and not a little bit humbled.

Unlike Hermione, he'd never been bullied in his life. Unlike Neville, his guardians looked after him, made sure he was safe from harm, and tried to make every part of his day more fun than the last. And unlike Ron, he had no competition with family and no monetary issues what so ever.

He was pulled from his mussing by a racket at the corridor. The door slid open and a kind woman peaked in from behind a cart. "Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked sweetly.

Forgetting that he was supposed to be asleep, Harry burst to his feet from under his robes, shocking everyone in the compartment.

"Thank you Merlin, I'm absolutely famished!" He exclaimed to the bewilderment of everybody.

Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out a large bag of coins. Browsing the contents of the cart, he looked back at his companions. Making a decision, he decided to by multiples of everything. A few galleons later, their compartment was full.

"You aren't going to eat _that_ much are you?" Hermione asked disapprovingly.

"Nope, we all are. Help yourselves." Harry said diplomatically as he munched on a cauldron cake.

Neville seems unsure, but Ron dived straight for the chocolate frogs and plastered his mouth with them. "What?" He asked as they all looked at him in varying degrees of disgust, "I like chocolate alright?" He said as he reached for another only for it to get stolen by Hermione.

The feast started as they each tried everything. Harry finally got Merope Von Fischer to add to his chocolate frog card collection while Ron blasted through twelve and only managed duplicates. Hermione's favourite candy was now liquorice wands and she contentedly nibbled on them as the boys tried 'Bertie Blotts Every Flavoured Beans'.

"I think that one was grass flavour." Harry said as he cleaned his teeth with his tongue. 'Ew' Hermione said as Neville almost puked on an, ironically, vomit flavoured bean.

Ron was recalling them of a story of how his brothers Fred and George had once changed every bean to bogey flavour when there was another knock that rattled the door. All four of the cabin members turned to face the door when it was rudely opened without them consenting. Ron and Neville stiffened at what they saw.

A skinny and pale boy with platinum blonde hair stood in the portal with two fat hunks of meat standing behind him like bodyguards. The boys fashion screamed pure-blood, making Harry groan in despair. He knew who this was, and by the look on Ron and Neville's faces, they did too.

"Rumour has that Harry Potter is in this compartment, is that true?" He asked, arrogance colouring his words.

"You've been a victim of Chinese whispers my friend, no Harry here, but you've forgotten to introduced yourself." Harry replied cordially, seeing how this played out first before he told the intruding pounce to leave.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said lazily gesturing behind him, "and I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, I'm sure you've heard of me?" He asked pompously with his chin up. Ron snorted at his name, prompting the newly dubbed Malfoy's head to snap in his direction.

"Is something funny? No need to ask who you are. Red hair, freckles and hand-me-down robes? You must be a _Weasley_." He said condescendingly with a practiced scowl common in arrogant nutcases.

Letting his anger take over, Malfoy turned to the other two in the compartment. He guessed that the other boy was if fact Harry Potter despite his attempt at misleading him, but his father had demanded he make friends with the Black heir, so he decided to bark up another tree.

"Longbottom? How was it you were accepted? I thought squibs weren't allowed at Hogwarts?" He snarked sarcastically much to the amusement of his goons who guffawed dumbly at his quip.

Harry's eyes flashed as his companions were being bullied one by one. He was just about to remind the younger Malfoy of his presence, but was prevented from doing so as the ferret turned to his only female guest.

"A mudblood too? You really are terrible at making friends, aren't you Potter? You ought to be careful lest you end up like your parents, hanging out with filth like this." He snarled, looking at hermione as if she was something foul to be scraped off his boot.

When tears started to come into Hermione's eyes, that was enough. The blonde pounce sensed more than saw danger coming at him and turned only to find a crackling wand pointed between his eyes. He gulped in fear as he saw the dangerous glare of glowing, emerald orbs boring into his own.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome, Mr. Malfoy." Harry said slowly in a low growl.

The two bodyguards stepped forward as if to pulverise the person threatening their boss when they were suddenly pushed back by an invisible force and launched out of the compartment.

Seeing that he was now alone with an angry boy-who-lived, Malfoy started backing up. When he crossed the threshold to the compartment Harry dropped his wand.

"I expect an apology for my friends by the end of the week, understand?" Harry demanded.

Malfoy hurriedly nodded as the door was slammed in his face. Harry sighed as he sat next to Hermione and gently rubbed her back.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly as she wiped away the tears that had escaped. She looked up to him with a watery smile.

"Thank you for sticking up for me." She said in gratitude as she briefly hugged him, strangely causing him to stiffen at the unexpected contact.

"Y-yeah thanks Harry. I've already had a few run-inns with Draco, b-but that's the first time I've actually seen him get smacked down a peg." Neville thanked him as well while flashing a shy smile.

"Yeah Mate that was wicked!" Ron joined enthusiastically.

"How did you do that Harry? W-with the two brutes… they went flying!" Neville asked in wonder.

"I got sick of just reading about magic so I started to practice with it, yet I wasn't getting my wand until I was eleven so… I improvised, I guess." Harry said, remembering the day he first did wandless magic.

"You did that wandlessly!?" Ron almost shouted. Hermione had surprisingly never heard of such a thing.

"Yeah, apparently not many people can. I don't get why not though, the concepts simple enough." Harry responded

"How do you do it?" Hermione asked excitedly. This was something she didn't know about and she was jumping at the chance to find out more.

"Um, well, I've always been able to feel my magic, you know? Whenever I did accidental magic I always got this… sensation. Almost like a emotion, a feeling of deep warmth. Like freedom, yet, it's trapped. You must simply let it free, whether it does what you want is the hard part." Harry said, trying his hardest to find the appropriate words to describe it.

"I've never felt anything like that before." Ron muttered, getting a 'same here' from both Neville and Hermione.

"Well my godfather started teaching me occlumency when I was eight and one of the first things you learn is how to find your core." Harry allowed, still not knowing the exact difference between him and his companions that allowed him to do wandless magic.

"What's occlumency?" Hermione asked. Yet another thing she didn't know yet. She vowed to read the entire library at Hogwarts so she'd actually know what her new friends were talking about.

"Mind Magic's. It's traditionally taught to pureblood heirs before they enter Hogwarts in order to keep their house secrets." Harry responded to a grateful Hermione.

"What do they do?" She further asked.

"Protects your mind from intrusions, allows you to be more level headed and calculating, as well as organise your memories if your good at it. A full package in other words." Neville spoke up this time.

'This would be so beneficial to studying!' She thought as her mind rapidly thought of the implications. "Can you teach me? That and wandless magic?" She asked Harry.

"Teaching one occlumency is a deeply personal business Hermione," He warned, "it requires one to enter another's mind and possibly see all of their memories. The trust you need to have in someone must be immense before you even think of asking." He finished severely.

"Oh." she responded slightly downcast, though she consoled herself in that -when she got to know him better - she could always ask him at a later date.

Eventually they returned to their food and previous light-hearted conversation and started talking about school and spells. Hermione, Neville and Ron trying out spells - with Ron's being obviously fake and Neville's strangely ineffective - while Harry watched on with a smile. They all were just enjoying each other's company and learning more and more about each other as they got closer to the school.

As the trip progressed into more wild and mountainous country side Harry, Ron and Neville were once again fascinated by the stories Hermione told them of the muggle world, just as Hermione was when they told her about some of the thinks they'd done in the wizarding world. They spent the next few hours trading stories while the sun started to set.

"Blast!" Harry exclaimed as he looked at his pocket watch. "We should get changed now, where getting close to Hogwarts." He revealed causing the two boys opposite to blush and look at Hermione.

"Dear Merlin boys get your robes and hustle over to the lavatories! Deeply sorry Hermione." He said as he retrieved his own robes and dragged the boys out to the sound of a giggling Hermione.

They returned a bit later and gently knocked on the door. Hermione open it with a smirk in her full Hogwarts robes. She looked a taken aback a little at Harry's look. His robes were much shorter and stylish than both hers and Neville's who got the standard set. She thought he looked rather dashing and opted to tell him so, much to his thanks. Ron was extra jealous now and walked into the compartment feeling gloomy in his hand-me-downs.

Over the intercom they heard a voice tell them to leave all of their luggage on the train as they felt the Hogwarts express start to slow. It finally nearing their destination, and Harry glanced nervously out the window as a small town came into view.

'Hogwarts, here I come.'

A/N: sorry if there are any mistakes, not gonna lie I teared up a bit at some parts so I might have missed some grammar or spelling.


	4. Welcome To Hogwarts

A/N: well… chapters are coming very infrequently and I'm not sure how long this story will last. That being said, enjoy.

Chapter 4

~ **Hogsmeade Station **~

The air was cold and crisp in the small town. The large mountains that loomed in the distance shrouded the valley from the outside world. The stars shone brightly, ranging in the billions and representing all colours of the spectrum, unimpeded by the light pollution of muggle infrastructure. It was a beautiful sight that brought forth thoughts of pure serenity and peacefulness.

Said peace was shattered by a high pitched whistle, heralding the loud chugging of a large steam engine.

The Hogwarts express pulled into Hogsmeade station with a grating screech of its breaks and let out a contented hiss as it's doors opened. Hundreds of students poured out of the train and flooded the small platform. Most of the crowd shifted towards the carriages that awaited them at the other side, but the few smaller bodies of the first years were left stagnant in the wave of people, not knowing where they were supposed to go.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Yelled an enormous looming figure who lumbered through the throng of students.

Neville and Ron has just disembarked the train when they heard the voice, Harry and Hermione tagging along behind. They all spotted the imposing man, holding a lantern up to his heavily bearded face. When he once again called for the first years at the far end of the station, they finally overcome their astonishment of the man-giant and wandered over. They found the rest of their years cohort already there as they were one of the last groups to exit the train.

"All here?" The giant asked as he looked them over.

Harry ducked his head and hid behind the thicker and taller frame of Ron in order to not be noticed. The last thing he wanted was for the group to suddenly shift their focus onto him. He sighed as the bearded man continued.

"Me names Rubeus Hagrid! Keep'r of keys and the Hogwarts grounds!" Said the newly named Hagrid as he once again looked over the children searchingly.

'He _has_ to be here', the man thought. Deciding not to stall any longer, he turned with a "Follow me!" and lead the wide eyed children towards a narrow forest trail.

It was extremely dark in the woods and quite frightening. Harry held his hand up to his face - not being able to see it even a foot from his eyes - and slipped at his distraction. The only thing they could see was the light of the lantern. Ron lead the fore while Harry and Hermione took the middle with Neville the rear. Harry held onto Neville's robe to make sure he was still following behind him when they all jumped at the snapping of branches and animalistic noises echoing from the woods. They were scared witless.

They were all pulled from their fear, only for confusion and worry to now permeate around the group. They had come off of the slippery and dark forest path to see a large and still black lake that sparkled brightly, reflecting the stars and bright crescent moon. They then spotted the dingy wooden boats on the shore. Harry hoped that they wouldn't sink if they had to get in.

"Four to a boat!" Yelled the excitable Hagrid.

All of the present company hesitated before cautiously splitting off into groups. The four of them where grateful that they wouldn't be slit up. Ron went in first as a stabiliser with his large frame, while Harry stayed back and helped both neville and Hermione in. He himself landed beside Ron as Hagrid pointed his umbrella and shouted "Forward!"

They spent the trip in silence as they took in the beautiful night sky reflected on the glassy lake. As they rounded a corner, they all gasped in awe at the sight before them. There stood, in all its majestic glory, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The spectacular stone castle was sat on a mountain that overlooked the dark lake. Numerous towers and turrets rose to the heavens, with windows blazing with warm lights that looked like small stars emblazoned on the imposing structure.

After what only seemed like a few moments of wonder, they came across a low cave hidden with ivy. It was so low that they had to duck, lest they be knocked unconscious by the rocky cliff-face. How Hagrid fit through the opening they did not know. After a few seconds the roof expanded upwards and gave way to a mystical domed cavern filled with millions of multicoloured glow-worms and innumerable stalactites of all different shapes and sizes. The sight was so beautiful that Neville had to be shaken out of his revelry by Hermione. He hadn't even noticed that they'd beached on the pebbled shore.

The students disembarked and followed Hagrid up what seemed like a never ending flight of stairs that lead out of the caves. When they'd finally reached the surface, most of them were left puffing for some much needed oxygen. Harry was briefly concerned about how obviously little physical exercise his new peers had in their youth, him and Hagrid seemingly unfazed by the trip. However all thoughts of that soon dissipated as they arrived at the entrance doors to the school.

Giving three thunderous knocks that threatened to blast the ancient portal down, Hagrid stood back and waited. After a few seconds the oaken doors swung open with a grating groan and revealed the stern countenance of a tall black haired woman wearing emerald-green robes.

"All accounted for?" She asked the giant pointedly.

"Every las' one, profess'r Mcgonagall!" Hagrid beamed proudly.

"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here," the professor said.

She then faced the children and directed them to follow her as she lead them through the entrance hall. It was extremely large, with massive flickering torches lining the walls and a grand marble staircase that lead to the upper floors. They were led along the flagged stone ground before veering off into an empty chamber, the muffled noise of the rest of the school forcing its way through the walls. She turned back to them and stared down at the group with another stern gaze.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can join in, you first have to be sorted. There are four houses in Hogwarts called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. By the end of the night, you will be a part of one of these houses and they will be something like family to you throughout your learning years. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitories and spend a large deal of your free time in your house common rooms."

She stopped here to survey the children, seeing if they were appropriately listening to her speech. Once satisfied she began once more.

"Each house has its own noble history and has produced some outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here you will be earning house points through good behaviour and triumphs, while you'll lose house points for any rule breaking." She finished in a hard tone as she looked towards a few specific members of the first year ilk.

Other than the muggleborns, she remembered each child's family members that attended Hogwarts both past and present. While she wasn't about the judge them on the actions of their kin, she wasn't going to be having another Weasley twins or marauders running rampant in the castle. In saying that, she saw a very respectable looking Harry. Standing there now, he looked a combination between the curious and fiery Lily with the air of a noble and mischievous pureblood like James had been. She paused at the though, her heart aching at the vision of her past students and friends.

"The sorting will start in a few minutes in front of the entire school, so I suggest you freshen yourselves up while your waiting. I will return when we are ready for you." She informed as she regained her countenance, looking towards Neville's disheveled robes in particular.

Only a few moments passed before whispering voices started up amongst the frightened first years. Many were speculating how they would be sorted, with Ron stating loudly that they were to battle a troll until Hermione admonished him thoroughly. His words struck true though as many of the prospective students paled.

Hermione turned to Harry, realising that he looked as calm as ever and even had a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"What do you think Harry?" She asked curiously, not yet understanding the boy that stood next to her.

"Don't know, though I doubt they'd have us fight anything. For one thing, we shouldn't even know how to cast spells, much less use them in a tense situation." He responded as he glanced at the far wall. Many of the students deflated in relief at his words.

"What are you looking at?" She asked when she noticed his attention was attracted elsewhere.

"Wait for it." Harry said mysteriously.

Hermione was confused for a second before she heard screams from the back of the group. All talking stopped as the group gasped in shock. Over twenty ghosts had floated through the back wall, conversing nonchalantly and all pearly-white. Hermione found herself clinging slightly to Harry's arm before she apologised and let go. He grinned and let her know that it was fine.

"I say, what are you all doing out here?" Asked a ghost in a ruff and tights.

"Waiting to be sorted Sir Nicholas," Harry responded politely.

"New students!" Exclaimed a strange obese monk, "I do so hope you make it into Hufflepuff-"

The ghost was cut off by Professor McGonagall, who hastened them into the great hall. "We are ready for you now, follow me," she then demanded as they formed a single file.

A flash of butterflies erupted in Harry's stomach.

He took a steadying breath as he followed after the professor. He knew that his uncles would love him no mater what, but that didn't mean they'd be excited if he was sorted into Slytherin. That was the one thing he disliked about them, their belief that all Slytherins were evil. Either way, he hoped he would follow in his parents footsteps. Though he knew he had Slytherin in him.

As he walked into the hall to the stares of hundreds of eyes, he prayed once more to whatever higher entity existed, before settling his mind. It was time to be fully reintroduced to the wizarding world. His true trials began now.

~ **Hogwarts Great Hall** ~

The hall was large and grand on an entirely new level. The surrounding stone walls, worn yet ornate, where broken up by the evenly spaced arches that disappeared into the ceiling. Said ceiling was enchanted into a perfect reflection of the heavens, with the stars and galaxies sparkling in an awe inspiring dance that captivated all who looked.

The entire hall was illuminated by hundreds of floating candles that bathed the occupants in a warm orange glow. There was five large tables, the four biggest spanning the length of the Great Hall, each of them parallel to each other. The fifth table was placed on an elevated stage at the front of the hall and faced the other four. There were hundreds of people sat at these tables, each catered to by shiny golden cutlery.

The students that occupied the tables abandoned their conversations as the large oaken doors at the entrance sprung open. In walked the stern Professor McGonagall leading the wide eyed and almost shaking first years.

The hall hushed down into whispers as people craned their necks to get a better look at the group. It was anyways exciting when new first years arrived - some having siblings or family friends entering the school - but this year was different. Harry Potter himself was supposedly entering Hogwarts.

Harry walked into the hall behind Hermione and marvelled at the architecture. Nothing his uncles said could have ever given this place justice. The energy the hall gave off was intoxicating - medieval and grand. He forgot the stares, forgot his fame, forgot all his worries and just embraced the moment. A genuine smile formed on his lips as he walked onwards.

The first years where soon collected at the front of the hall and set off to the right of the head table. Some of them where shaking with nerves as the stares and whispers were starting to get to them, whilst others were busy trying to pick their jaws up from the floor. The express was amazing, but this was something else.

Harry saw the stool with the tattered and ratty hat resting atop it. This was the one thing his uncles refused to tell him about - how the students were actually sorted. He smirked at the simplicity of an enchanted object deciding were they would reside. He thought it would be more complex than that, something more grand and worth keeping secret.

The old hat itself wasn't that much to look at. In fact, he didn't think that it could look any more beat up. He was wrong of course, as the hat promptly tore at the seems to make mouth-like shape.

Then it sang:

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A better hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hat bowed as extravagantly as a hat could to the thunderous round of applause that came from his audience. Harry had an eyebrow raised, 'that was different,' he thought as the first name was called.

"Abbot, Hannah!"

Thus the sorting started. Each student was welcomed to the applause of their house. He focused on placing names to faces, noting that their houses would represent their personalities well enough before he truely got to know them.

As for the people he already knew, he was quite surprised. Hermione had spent some time on the stool but was ultimately sorted into Gryffindor - he'd had her pinned in Ravenclaw for sure. Neville had ended up in Gryffindor as well, the nervous boy having ran to the table with the hat still atop his head- another surprise as he thought the quiet boy was a definite Hufflepuff. And Draco - the nasty boy he'd met of the train - swaggered up to the hat, which had barely been placed on his head before it shouted 'Slytherin!' which escalated Harry's desire to enter the lion den even more.

He tried to calm himself of nerves as it came up to his name, wondering how exactly the hat sorted as he'd had his previous assumptions completely shattered. However, the actual sorting wasn't the only thing he dreaded.

"Potter, Harry!"

The hall went dead silent. Whispers broke out like wind rustling through a forest. People were standing up on their chairs trying to get a good look at him as he started his way towards the stool. '_It's_ _Harry Potter!',_ '_move! I cant see him!_', '_he looks different from the books, he's cute_'.

Harry ignored them as he held his head high and walked confidently up to the stool. Giving a small smile to the professor, he sat smartly and finally graced the hall with a glance. They finally got a clear look at his emerald eyes glowing radiantly before they were covered by the brim of the hat.

'_Oh my, greetings Mr. Potter, I already know you'll be fun_', said a phantom voice in his head.

'_Hat?_' He replied cautiously.

'_Indeed. You have a most remarkable mind for your age young man, solid defences and well organised. I thank you, it will make this much more easier._' The hat said as Harry started to feel a presence in his head.

'_You have access to my mind_?' Harry asked in alarm trying to push it out vigorously.

'_Do not worry Mr. Potter, as this is how I sort. Do try to calm down, I have never once revealed a students secrets unless I deemed it absolutely necessary._' The hat consoled, gently prompting Harry to relax, his efforts in pushing out the presence were futile anyway.

Harry finally calmed down fully as he felt the Hat rummage through his mind. He chose to suggest some memories for the hat.

'_My my, a familiar? Impressive indeed Mr. Potter_', the hat praised.

Harry continued to keep suggesting some of his memories. Happy ones. He was pranking Sirius, studying fruitfully with Remus, having fun on all the vacations they went on. The hat looked at them all with interest making Harry wonder if he did this with every student. Obviously not as he'd only spent a second on Malfoy's head before making his decision.

'_No young man, I do not spend this much time with others. Something's calling me too you, to look deeper that usual… do you mind Mr. Potter, if I look deeper?_' The Hat probed.

Harry hesitated slightly before relenting. He then directed the Hat to different memories. Darker ones. He recalled his nightmares, the green light, cold laughter and his mother's screams, the years of painful and miserable existence in the aftermath, the pain of loosing his parents, the longing of a true family. He felt the Hats sympathy, and for a second, he despised it, before realising the intentions behind it. The Hat was sorry for bringing up something with such sorrow attached.

'_You are a remarkable young man Mr. Potter, never forget that. You have two loving guardians that will help you and be there for you. You now have some acquaintances it seems as well. Mr. Longbottom is an incredibly loyal young man, Mr. Weasley is a fun soul which I have no doubt you will come to admire, and Mrs. Granger has big plans for friendship and mutual bonding over the love of magic. You two are very much alike you know. _

'_You have all this support… and my lord the potential you have is something I haven't felt in Millenia. Great things will follow in your wake Mr. Potter, but you must never lose yourself. Too many have been in your place and have been corrupted. Friends, family and humility, Mr. Potter. Remember that._'

Harry sent a grateful pulse of recognition into the Hats presence.

'_Now to sort you. You would do well in Slytherin you know? You have ambition in spades, but I see a lingering distaste… ah, you-know-who was said to be a Slytherin. But there is something else… No, no not the snake den then. Hmm, perhaps Ravenclaw can provide for your deep desire of knowledge, but you are far too mischievous for the house of Rowena. Loyalty and hard work are traits that you value and no doubt have in your possession, however they are by far not your defining qualities, therefore Hufflepuff will have to miss out on a great wizard yet again. No, I believe there is only one true place for you Mr. Potter. Your bravery, charisma and mischief are telltale signs of a true Gryffindor. Good luck in my creators house young man, and if you require some wisdom, I dare say I'd be delighted for a chat._' The hat said as it retreated from his mind.

"Better be… GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted aloud causing the hall to explode in a roar of applause.

The noise was deafening as Harry stood and handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall, gracing his new head of house with a small bow. He walked towards the Gryffindor table to the continuous thunderous cheers with two boys who looked like Weasley twins chanting 'We have Potter! We have Potter!'

His hand was shaken rigorously by another Weasley, this one wearing a prefects badge. He briefly wondered how many Weasley's there were as this one introduced himself as Percy. Eventually the noise quieted down as he sat between Neville and Hermione, and the sorting continued.

"Why were you up there for so long? It took over ten minutes! That's the longest anyone's ever been sorted!" Hermione asked him exasperatedly.

"No reason, we just had a little chat." Harry shrugged nonchalantly as he focused on the sorting.

Hermione shook her head as she too turned back to the sorting. Harry was turning out to be an enigma. She had no doubt that a friendship with him would be exciting to say the least.

"Weasley, Ron!"

Harry perked up at the boys name. 'Definitely Gryffindor', he thought. It didn't take long for the hat to agree with him and Ron rose on shaky legs to the cheering of his brothers.

Soon enough the sorting was finished with one 'Zabini, Blaise' ending up in Slytherin. After everyone was settled, the headmaster stood.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddmend! Tweak!… thank you."

And with confused frowns, the feast started. He was quickly reminded of dinners at Black estate, though the selection of foods his house-elves provided was usually healthier than what was currently served. However, he was greatly famished despite the candy he'd had on the express, so he dived for the meats: steak, pork sausage, roast chicken, and pork chops before piling his plate full of vegetables.

"My that looks delicious," said a sad voice. Harry looked up and smiled in sympathy to the ghost of Sir Nicholas, who in turn patted his back and make it fell as if his insides where dipped in liquid nitrogen.

As everyone began conversing, many people started direction questions towards him. If fact, many in the hall were still trying to sneak glances in his direction, as if he was about to do something spectacular. If he was honest, it was irritating, and after vaguely answering what felt like a hundred inquiries, Percy finally told them to lay off a bit. It was just in time too as Harry started to feel his magic react to his agitation. It did that at times, almost like a protective reaction.

With Harry now 'off-limits', talk tuned to other matters. A sandy-haired Irish boy by the name of Seamus Finnigan was telling stories of his childhood as a halfblood. The boy next to him said he was muggleborn - Dean Thomas was his name, a dark skinned, dark haired and dark eyed boy.

Their was another two girls close by. One was a pretty blonde that was already getting sideways glances from the younger years male population, and the other was a petite Indian girl with long plaited black hair and dark eyes. They were already gossiping with each other about fashion and boys.

Harry then looked further down the table and watched as the Weasley twins he'd seen earlier spiked the drink of the boy opposite. The dark skinned boy sipped from his goblet, his dreadlocks suddenly unraveling and shooting in all directions like Albert Einstein. Harry grinned at the boys screams.

As everyone was finishing up their meals, the platters turned into desserts as conversation turned to the differences of the magical and mundane worlds, which was mainly Ron describing quidditch to Dean and Seamus and them in turn explaining football.

Feeling eyes on him, Harry turned and gazed directly into eyes of Severus Snape. His godfather had told him about the man and his rivalry with the marauders, his father specifically. He had greasy hair, dark eyes and a skinny frame, his face etched with a permanent scowl. The scowl deepened as the eye contact continued.

A sudden sharpness and heat radiated from his scar as he felt a presence brush against his consciousness. He ducked his head quickly, breaking eye contact, the pain faded soon after. Glancing back up he saw the Professor in conversation with the new defence professor.

Harry was utterly furious. Someone had just tried to enter his mind, and he had a sneaking suspicion just who it was. Though of course anyone could have used the legilimency spell, the heavy eye contact placed Snape at the top of his list of suspects.

Stewing in his anger, he flushed out all conversation for the rest of the feast. After the feast was finished, Dumbledore gave yet another speech

"Now that we are all suitably stuffed and watered, I'd like to give a few announcements. Firstly, the forbidden forest is exactly as its name suggests - forbidden. The quidditch trials begin two weeks into term, for more information see your house noticeboards. Lastly, the third floor corridor is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death… thank you."

Harry started at Dumbledore, something that many students were doing as well. He understood that the old warlock was a bit odd in his advanced years, but to warn children of death should they walk out of bounds?

He held onto the thought as the first years were rounded up by Percy Weasley and lead out of the Great Hall. He had no doubt that some of the more adventurous students would see this as a challenge, the headmasters words having the opposite effect that they were supposed to.

They traversed up a strange rotating staircase, with the prefects giving some insight on how to navigate the maze of stone.

Harry was greatly curious at the crossroads and corridors they passed. Some where bright and pristine with knights in shining armour lining the walkways and innumerable paintings and portraits that moved and talked to one another. Other corridors were dark and dreary, like places where back alley drug deals in those old mafia movies Remus loved would take place. Dust lined the walls as if nobody had set foot in them in years. If anything, the darker areas peaked Harry's interest more.

Lost once again in his thoughts, he was shocked when Neville - who was standing next to him - got pelted with a walking stick. After a rather unpleasant confrontation with Peeves the castle poltergeist, they ascended the rest of the way to the seventh floor. Harry saw the painting of the fat lady who looked exactly as Sirius described her. Percy gave the password 'Caput Draconis', which prompted the portrait to swing open, allowing them entrance.

'Talk about house pride' he thought. The common room was a round area entirely decorated in scarlet red and bright gold. From the thick carpet, to the banners in the rafters, nobody could doubt that this was Gryffindor house.

The walls were the same stone as the rest of the castle, albeit covered in Gryffindor paraphernalia and lit in warm orange from the many decorative lanterns. A large fire place was off to the right, which was where the plush armchairs were nestled. Surrounding the walls were plenty of dark red wooden tables that were perfect for studying on. The open flooring allowed for plenty of foot traffic as the new first years were let up two spiral staircases - one for girls and one for boys - at the back of the room that led to the dorms.

Harry went to bed that night in the first year boy's dorm with his other year mates. One of them was trying to snore the castle down, he didn't know if it was Neville or Ron or both of them working in tandem. He lay there on the soft bed, contemplating how the day went. He managed to smile and frown at the same time when he thought of everything that had occurred.

On the one hand, he'd met new acquaintances in the form of Ron, Hermione and Neville. On the other, he'd been stared at constantly, whispers harassed him... If he could get no privacy in this castle, then he doubted any number of friends could get him through the year without him first blowing someones head off. He'll just have wait and see.

Sighing, he pulled the covers up further, quickly falling asleep in the comfy bedding.

~ **First Year Dorms ** ~

Morning dawned bright, not a fluff of cloud nor whisper of winds. However, not all was peaceful in this brilliant sunrise.

'What _is_ that?' Harry thought. It sounded like a trumpet and one of Sirius's mega-farts rolled into one.

Harry was at first shocked - this wasn't his bedroom! - and then the events of yesterday came rushing back. Peeking out from the drapes of his bed, he saw four others, two of them shaking violently from the sound-waves created by Ron and Neville's troll snores.

'Oh', he remembered. It was the day after arriving at Hogwarts and thus the first day of classes.

Clambering out of bed, he showered and changed into his school robes before rushing down to the great hall. He was starving, yet despite his desperate efforts to remember the route back to the great hall, he still ended up lost.

Eventually he found his way and was now walking along the empty Gryffindor table. In fact most of the hall was empty. Looking at the pocket watch he'd received from Remus on his tenth birthday, he realised it was only six thirty in the morning. He was accustomed to waking up at what most people would call a stupidly early hour. In fact, he'd actually slept in today after yesterday's exhausting journey. However, seeing the headmaster sitting at the head table, it seemed that Dumbledore was also an early bird, so Harry decided to have a talk with the aged wizard.

"Good morning Headmaster Dumbledore," he greeted warmly.

"Good morning to you too Harry, your up nice and early," the jovial headmaster replied, helping himself to some tea.

"I couldn't wait to get started, where's breakfast?" He asked as he felt his stomach grumble.

"Breakfast is usually served at seven, but if you ask nicely, the elves should bring you something to feast on early," Dumbledore replied.

"Or I could just go to the kitchens," he said cheekily with a smirk building on his face.

"Oh, found them already have you?" Dumbledore asked benignly, "That didn't take long."

"Well I haven't found them yet, but I know how to at least," he assured.

"Ah yes, and how are your uncles these days?" Asked the headmaster, causing Harry to grin at his assumption.

"Same as usual I suppose… a pair of idiots," he replied offhandedly.

Dumbledore nodded sagely at his words. "So nothings changed then?" He asked in practiced curiosity, causing Harry to outright laugh.

More students had wandered into the hall during their conversation. They looked on in awe as the boy-who-lived and arguably the greatest wizard in the world conversed like old mates.

"Nope, they're just as weird and wonderful as ever I'm afraid. I'm sure you remember how they were the last time we went bowling?" He asked.

"Ah yes, Sirius had quite the dummy spit when he lost," Dumbledore sighed as he remembered Harry's tenth birthday.

"Yep, he's still annoyed believe it or not. Well, I'll let you get back to your breakfast. Have to find a good spot myself and all. Have a good day!" Harry said in good bye before heading back towards the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore was ecstatic. Harry was everything he hoped he would be. It was obvious that he had a nurturing childhood with Sirius and Remus. Such a wonderful boy and he couldn't help but be proud of him.

In hindsight, his original idea to place Harry with the Dursley's upon James and Lily's death was looking grossly unintelligent. He thought they'd do well enough as guardians - at the very least providing him shelter and food - but due to the protections that he could erect around the house, he thought it an opportunity he couldn't pass up. However, nothing is more important than a healthy childhood.

He could see that Sirius and Remus provided a good balance between fun and learning, as well as protection for the boy from the ravenous public and the many who sought to cause him harm. Besides, hardly anyone knew Black estate existed much less knew where it was. Then to try and get past the centuries of overlapped dark wards… he'd say it was neigh on impossible for even the dark lord himself. Though he'd never bet his money on it, there is always a way if there is a will.

As he watched the boy find his seat, he felt his stomach drop. 'Its a travesty that the boy faces such a harsh destiny.' He thought, his very bones aching in sorrow. However, the here and now was not ideal for such thoughts as breakfast appeared for the assembled students and teachers alike.

Harry had only been sitting for a few minutes, fiddling with his wand uncomfortably before breakfast appeared on the table. He breathed a sigh of relief as he greedily dug into his meal. People still looked at him in amazement as they entered the Great Hall for breakfast, as if he was a living museum display. He didn't appreciate the sentiment in the slightest.

As he ate the bacon with gusto, trying to ignore as much people as possible, Hermione walked into the hall. Spotting a familiar face in Harry, she hurried over and plopped herself down next to him.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked him as she dished herself some food.

"What are _you_ doing up so early?" He copied.

"I asked you first!" She exclaimed.

"I asked you last," he said without looking up from his meal.

"Your such a child," she grumbled, digging into some oats.

"I'm eleven," he stated dryly, causing her to roll her eyes. She did however noticed his uncomfortable glances around the hall, and it made her worry.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Look around, they just sit there staring. It's stupid." He mumbled bitterly as he stabbed a pork sausage.

Sure enough, there were many eyes pointed in there direction. Some weren't even eating, just watching them. She quickly turned back around, ducking her head in an attempt to hide herself.

"Oh." She said lamely. Harry sighed.

"So, why are you up so early?" He repeated, trying to dispel the awkwardness. Grateful for the distraction, she eagerly answered.

"I like to get an early start to the day and if I'm completely honest, I couldn't really sleep last night. This is all just so _amazing!_" She said passionately as she looked up. The charm on the ceiling was bright with clear blue skies, showing no hint to the changing of seasons, it having just turned to fall with the start of September.

"No kidding, it's magic," was Harry's reply.

"What about you then?" She asked with an upturned nose.

"I like to rise with the sun. It's a habit from my godfather, who used to be an Auror," Harry said with a shrug.

"I've read about them, they're like a magical version of the police right?" She asked Harry.

"If by that you mean that they're the people that sort out other peoples problems, then yes." Harry said, not quite as confident with the muggle culture as he'd like to be.

They continued to chat and eat while the hall quickly filled up with students. They found themselves in a predicament as Neville and Ron finally turned up. They were already finished with their breakfast and thus forced to wait until they got their timetables. Ron's eating habits made the wait that much longer in Harry's opinion. It was so bad he warned Ron not to scare off the rest of the food, for which the redhead was briefly mortified before he shoved a whole two eggs in his mouth to forget the traumatic thought.

"How are we going to find our classes? When I came down for breakfast this morning I ended up in some random tower," Hermione asked worriedly when some of the older students started to leave. A sixth year walking by heard her question and answered politely.

"Don't worry, one of the prefects will escort the first years for the first week," she said with a bright smile before noticing Harry. She blushed bright red and and hurried off.

"At least she didn't shake my hand or something," Harry grumbled to himself.

They continued to wait after that, wondering between them and the other first years what classes they'd do first. Eventually, Professor McGonagall walked down the table giving out everyone's schedules. When she got to them Hermione was practically vibrating.

"Your schedules. I'll see you first period in my class, just follow the prefects and do not be late." She said sternly before moving on.

Harry looked at his slip of parchment, quickly memorising it. They had seven subjects in total, consisting of: Transfiguration, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, History of Magic, Herbology and Astronomy.

Other than History of Magic and Potions, he could happily say he was looking forward to them. History, he'd been told, was taught by a ghost who refused to move on and instead created his own version of boring torture, and Potions was taught by a man that hated everything his fathers band of misfits stood for.

He needn't worry about that now though, for Transfiguration was first on his list of classes.

~ **Transfiguration Classroom **~

The classroom was massive, as if it was supposed to seat three times the amount of students there currently were - which it probably was as the magical population was quite large before the war. Behind the professors desk were large floor to ceiling windows that illuminated the room in the bright morning light. The roof expanded way above their heads, arching over the four columns of desks.

Harry and Neville sat next to each other at a joint desk, the Gryffindors occupying one side of the room while the Ravenclaws sat on the other. The strange divide that occurred between the houses was chalked up by Hermione - who sat to the left of the two boys - as unfamiliarity and nerves, probably because they had only shared the night with their own house and hadn't had any contact with any of the others.

However the Patil's sisters - Padma and Parvarti- decided to sit closer together. Them being sisters and in different houses, one would've thought they'd sit next to each other because they wanted too, though as they continued to argue, that seemed more and more unlikely.

Neville looked around in worry - which was not that uncommon - as if something was about to explode.

"Everything alright Neville? You look like your about to soil yourself." Harry asked.

"Ron's not here yet," He said.

"What?!" Hermione whisper yelled as she herself tried to find the redhead, "He's going to lose us points!" She exclaimed.

"Maybe he's enjoying his seventeenth bagel." Harry suggested, tying and failing to alleviate his friends worry. "It'll be fine, don't worry so much."

"Yeah, well, at least Professor McGonagall isn't here yet either," Neville said. It was hard not to listen to Harry.

Harry didn't tell them of his suspicions. He looked directly at the cat sitting on the professors desk, seeing it to tilt it's head in curiosity at his gaze.

In recent years he'd become more sensitive to magic. He could feel it like a sixth sense, like smelling or hearing something. Just as different things had different smells or made different sounds, certain magic's had different feels.

Throughout his childhood, Harry had grown accustomed to a large black dog running amuck in the house. It was Sirius's animagus form, Padfoot. The magic of that form felt completely different to human Sirius, and he could feel similar magic coming from the feline.

Considering that professor McGonagall was a transfiguration master, and human to animal transformations were a type of transfiguration, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. The professor was already here, just waiting for something.

As of on queue with his thoughts, a boy burst into the room. It was Ron. He looked haggard and out of breath. The fear in his eyes was undeniable as he searched the room for an irate Professor. Hermione and Neville also let out a relieved breath, thinking that he'd arrived before the teacher and had thus not lost them any points.

"Wait for it." Harry mumbled prophetically as he watched Ron grin. Only Hermione heard what he'd said and looked at him in question.

"Blimey! I thought i was done for. The professor would have been furious if she knew i was late!" Ron said as he hurried over to them, "A real earful she would have given me i recon!" He grinned before noticing the feline.

"What's a cat doing here?"

Said cat leapt from the table and transformed in mid air. There stood Professor McGonagall, glaring through her glasses. Most of the class - including Hermione - gasped, Neville paled and Harry grinned.

"I believe it is an earful you shall get Mr. Weasley. You are over ten minutes late on the first day of classes, and I detest tardiness. Five points from Gryffindor, and you will stay behind after this lesson," the professor hissed at the quivering boy.

She turned to the rest of the class while Hermione glanced at Harry. He shrugged smugly as the professor started her opening lecture. Hermione quickly retrieved her quill and wrote down all the professor said, reassuring herself that she could ask Harry later.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned_." _She started as she brought out her wand.

She then demonstrated some of the things achievable in the subject, whilst explaining at what period of their learning they would be taught such magic. She'd turned a rat into a goblet, a goblet into a Venus Flytrap, then changed the plant into a stone statuette of a panicking Ron and finally back into a rat. Once that was done she finished with turning her entire table into a large pig before turning it back again.

The entire class was left gobsmacked. Harry was enraptured by the display, like he usually was when his uncles had done advanced magic, but they were not masters of transfiguration like the Professor was. What she'd demonstrated was just a portion of what he deeply desired to achieve. Complete and utter mastery of magic.

"Today you will be transfiguring matches into needles." She said, a pack of matches levitating onto each students desk.

She walked them through the basic principles of the transfiguration and the spell that they were to cast. She then left them to try it on their own.

The students tried for the rest of the period to complete the assignment, most not even coming close. Ron's somehow seemed less like a matchstick or a needle and more like a twig he'd picked up from outside, Seamus set his on fire, Dean's wiggled before the wood melted, Nevilles screamed and the rest of the students had a variety of similar effects. Hermione had actually came close, managing to make it pointy and silver, which earned points for Gryffindor.

Meanwhile, Harry had completed it on his third try.

Noticing his achievement, the shocked but pleased professor moved over to examine his work. Not noticing any faults at first, She was indeed very impressed.

"Well done Mr. Potter. The full match to needle transfiguration hasn't been completed in years. The last person who did it happened to be your father in fact. Ten points to Gryffindor… but perhaps use a little less power in the spell as you've actually turned it into tungsten instead of titanium. Try again, but after you've done that, you can practice with some different designs for the rest of the period if you desire." Professor McGonagall said, flashing a rare smile before moving towards the Ravenclaws.

As soon as she left, Hermione hounded him for answers. Harry spent the rest of the period helping his friends and trying to change the look of his needle. Eventually hermione had the shape of a needle minus the hole, which Harry reassured her was extremely good. She insisted though that it wasn't a full transfiguration and asked the professor if she could borrow a match box to practice with, to which McGonagall consented.

They left the class feeling more satisfied than the rest of those in their year. Following a fifth year prefect, they were escorted to the important parts of the school until lunch break.

~ **Charms Classroom** ~

They entered the classroom to see that it was vastly different than the Transfiguration room. It used amphitheater style benches and tables in a semicircle formation facing the front of the room. That was where the teachers desk was, a large levitating wooden slab hidden under hundreds of arcane books and scrolls. The diminutive professor himself was standing on top of a massive pile of tomes. Behind him were enormous windows that allowed light to stream into the class, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

"Welcome! Welcome, students. Take your seats please, any order is fine!" Squeaked the excitable professor.

Neville and Ron decided to pair up in the upper levels. The two boys decided that they wanted to be as far away from the Professor as possible, Ron because of the verbal lashing he'd received form Professor McGonagall after class and Neville because of his so far abysmal wand work. They didn't even want to be noticed.

Harry and Hermione sat towards the front right on the lower levels, Hermione insisting that it would be the best position. When asked why, Hermione explained that she'd been told by Percy that the class was mostly run on lectures.

She was correct as the next hour was spent going over all that they'd be learning this year and the basics of what charms were and how they worked.

Harry enjoyed the diminutive Professors teaching style immensely. While Professor McGonagall chose to teach each part of her subject in seperate modules of difficulty, Professor Flitwick seemed to prefer a broader learning of charms before delving into each individual spell. Harry remembered what Remus had told him of the two subjects:

"_The way someone teaches a subject is reminiscent of the respective magical fields in a way. Transfiguration for example, is very unit like. There is simple transfiguration that changes the shape of an object, to more complex transfigurations like non-living to living transfigurations. Each different type of transfiguration is completed in different ways and methods. In some types you have to infuse your own magic into an object, others you can use the magic that the object already holds, or you can do a transfiguration where you alter the objects magic instead of using it and thus change the physical or immaterial nature of said object. This is just one reason why the subject requires seperate teaching of the different transfiguration units._

"_Charms on the other hand, is very similar across the board. Indeed there are many different spells, incantations and wand movements, but the same method of utilising magic is used in every single one of them. Using a wand or incredible mental concentration for wandless magic, you essentially pull your magic from your core and out of your body in order to create an effect in reality. For example, the levitation charm uses the same magic as a cleaning charm, it is just the intent and will that changes the effect. This is all high level charms though. For beginners, the effect is determined by wand movements and incantations, which help familiarise the effect within your magic and thus requires less will and focus._

Harry was shaken out of his thoughts by Hermione. He looked at her questioningly, only to get a frown and a gesture towards the professor.

"Are you quite alright Mr. Potter? You seem very distracted," the small man asked in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine Professor, just remembering something my uncle Remus taught me," Harry said apologetically.

"Ah yes, Mr. Lupin was an excellent charms student. I always knew that boy would love teaching. Now, did you happen hear my previous instructions?" Professor Flitwick asked, amused for some reason.

"No sir, ah, sorry. Can you repeat them please?" He asked abashed.

"Of course, not to worry. As you can see, we are trying out the light charm _Lumos_, would like to give it a go?"

Harry nodded as he bought his wand up. He centred himself and focused. With a breath he did a slight flick of his wand while confidently stating '_Lumos_'. A blinding light burst out of his wand, scorching everyones retinas. Harry quickly dispelled the light with _Nox _and blinked the spots out of his eyes. The room looked darker that it was before.

Everyone looked at him with gaping mouths. Some of the students rubbed their eyes, blinking rapidly. Nobody seemed to be blinded, thank Merlin.

"Sorry… I haven't done that spell before." He apologised.

"Ahem, It's quite fine Mr. Potter, but perhaps put less power into your spell next time. I would also like to see you after class is dismissed." Professor Flitwick said, still blinking a bit more rapidly than usual.

Harry didn't try the spell again for the rest of the lesson. He just sat there silently ashamed of himself. Hermione had succeeded in producing a bright light - about as bright as you'd want it to be - and Harry had congratulated her with a little envy. She, unlike him, didn't almost cause the mass blinding of her peers.

After the class was dismissed, Harry stayed behind. He walked up to the professors desk with his head held limp and looking at the ground. He already knew what the professor wanted to talk to him about.

"Mr. Potter… a few of us at Hogwarts have known since you were a toddler how powerful your magic would be." He started causing Harry to frown in confusion.

"How so?" He asked.

"You defeated the dark lord Harry… went you were brought to Hogwarts afterwards, Madam Pomfrey found you magic to be just as strong as an average first years… you were just over a year old and severely magically exhausted to boot my boy," he revealed to the shocked boy.

Harry had known of course as his uncles had told him already. It was the reason why it took almost three years for him to recover from that night, because his body couldn't contain the magic and it was boiling him from the inside out. It was just shocking to know that the Professor was there and that he knew. Who else did?

"With this in mind, we might have to come up with a few plans to help you better control your magic when casting..." The Professor continued, hesitating a little on the next part. Harry helped him out.

"Otherwise i could be dangerous, right?" Harry supplied.

"Well, not that you would intentionally hurt anyone… but Indeed. Today was a simple light charm, but if it happened to be one of the flame spells we'll be learning latter on, or one that cuts, or one that vanishes…" the Professor left it hanging as Harry paled.

Harry nodded as he thought it through. He wondered if this issue was created through his use of wandless magic. It just seemed that a wand pulled his magic much more easier and he wasn't quite used to that yet, thus the overpowered spells.

"Professor, would wandless casting affect my use of a wand?" He asked, voicing his concerns.

"A-are you saying you've done wandless magic Mr. Potter?" Professor Flitwick stumbled, shocked by the question. He became extremely excited when Harry blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

"Can you show me?" Flitwick asked hopefully.

Harry waved his hand, focusing intensely on the book besides the professor. It lifted causing the professor to squeak in shock and nearly fall of his tower. Harry gently put the book back down with a deep breath. The diminutive half-goblin just stood there for a minute looking at the boy in awe.

"That is quite amazing Mr. Potter!" Professor Flitwick said still trying to compose himself.

"Add it to the list of _amazing _things the 'boy-who-lived' has done," Harry said bitterly. Flitwick smiled sadly at him and reached forward to grasp his shoulder.

"We can't help but be who we are Mr. Potter. I'm a half-goblin who's spend years trying and failing to find my place in the world because of my heritage. Now here I am, talking to a remarkable young man, and doing what I love." Flitwick said, understanding the boy's wish to be normal.

"Thank you professor... So um, what can we do about my problem?" Harry asked thickly, trying to quickly change the subject before he got too emotional.

What followed was a long but pleasant conversation between student and teacher. Professor Flitwick described to Harry a program of extra lessons every Tuesday and Thursday evening after dinner. The lessons would be an hour of Harry focusing on controlling the amount of magic he put into his wand with supervised support. They will only be known amongst him, the Professor and Headmaster Dumbledore, who would have to know as he was the headmaster.

With all of that arranged and agreed on, Harry was lead by the charms professor to the library. Hermione had mentioned that she wanted to look through the vast collection of books when they'd visited it earlier as they were escorted around the castle, so he guessed that she'd be there.

He was correct as he saw a mass of bushy hair rushing through the shelves as soon as they entered the colossal book haven. Professor Flitwick chuckled as Harry bade him goodbye and rushed off after his friend.


End file.
